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I'd heard the name Linux Mint, but I only knew it was a derivative of Ubuntu. I've been with Ubuntu and Debian for most of my Linux life. I decided to check out Linux Mint recently, and I was impressed by what I saw.

USB docks and KVM switches are more like two different coins than two sides of the same coin. They can both upgrade your desk setup, but they do it in quite different ways. Let me walk you through their differences and, as someone who uses both, help you decide which one is right for your needs (hint: they aren't mutually exclusive).

Ryobi is a go-to in the DIY and homeowner space for a reason—they have tons of tools for just about any task. Today, I'm going to show you five Ryobi electric yard tools that every homeowner should have in their garage and why.

If you're seeking thrillers, you've found the perfect destination. Several new thrilling movies have been added to the major streaming services, like The Runner on Prime Video. For this article, we're sticking to Netflix, which boasts one of the best streaming libraries.

When I was growing up in the '90s, one of the first things I learned about our home computer was that I had to run the "park" command before turning the computer off. If you didn't, you might find your hard drive was corrupted the next time you turned it on.

TL;DR: IndyPDF is $19.99 for lifetime access to 20+ PDF tools, including editing, conversion, OCR, signatures, security, and offline processing.

Opens in a new window Credit: IndyPDF IndyPDF Editor & Converter: Lifetime Subscription $19.99
$49.99 Save $30.00   Get Deal

A capable PDF editor doesn’t have to become another recurring expense. IndyPDF Editor & Converter is just $19.99 for a lifetime subscription (reg. $49.99), giving you more than 20 tools for editing, converting, organizing, signing, and protecting PDFs.

IndyPDF lets you click into existing paragraphs and edit text with automatic reflow, while smart font matching helps new edits blend with the original document. You can also insert images, links, headers, footers, and watermarks, or work with more complicated multi-column layouts.

Need the information somewhere else? IndyPDF converts PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML, PNG, and other popular formats while preserving layouts. Batch processing lets you convert multiple files or entire folders at once. Its page-management tools also cover merging, splitting, rotating, extracting, deleting, and rearranging pages.

Scanned documents aren’t left out. On-device OCR turns scanned PDFs into searchable, editable files. You can annotate documents, add digital signatures, permanently redact information, and use AES-256 encryption, passwords, and permission controls for additional protection.

One of IndyPDF’s most practical features is its ability to process documents offline. Your files aren’t uploaded to the cloud while you edit, convert, sign, run OCR, or apply protection.

IndyPDF is available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.

For anyone who regularly works with PDFs but would rather skip an ongoing software subscription, IndyPDF lifetime access is is ideal. Get lifetime access to the IndyPDF Editor & Converter for just $19.99 (reg. $49.99).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: SpeakBreez is currently $29.99 for lifetime access (reg. $199), with unlimited generation on 55 Standard voices plus 200,000 monthly characters for its 680+ natural-sounding AI voice library.

Opens in a new window Credit: SpeakBreez SpeakBreez Plan: Lifetime Subscription $29.99
$199.99 Save $170   Get Deal

Recording narration doesn’t necessarily require a pricey microphone, a quiet room, or booking someone else to read your script. SpeakBreez is on sale for $29.99 for lifetime access (reg. $199.99) and turns written text into downloadable AI-generated voiceovers.

The platform is designed for projects like YouTube videos, courses, podcasts, ads, and audiobooks. Paste in your text or upload a document, choose a voice, and adjust pronunciation, speed, and pitch before generating the finished audio. Files can be exported in MP3 or WAV format and remain available for download in your library for seven days after they’re created.

The plan includes unlimited generation using 55 Standard voices across nine languages, subject to a 40,000-character daily fair-use limit. You also receive 200,000 characters per month — roughly four hours of narration — for SpeakBreez’s broader library of 680+ natural AI voices covering more than 120 languages and accents. That allowance resets each cycle, and unused characters do not roll over.

A full commercial license is included, so generated voiceovers can be used or sold without additional licensing fees. That’s useful for creators producing content for their own channels as well as for freelancers working on commercial projects.

One distinction to know before buying: ultra-realistic premium voices and voice cloning are optional paid upgrades and aren’t included in this plan.

This is ideal for solo creators who regularly need narration and don’t want another recurring subscription.

Don’t miss SpeakBreez lifetime access for just $29.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Everything is a subscription now. All the apps seem to want you to sign up for an account. They want your name, email, and blood type. Even when there's no reason for it that benefits you as a user in any way.

When I got my first flash drive, it changed my world. I was never concerned about how fast it was, even for a minute.

Despite legions of fellow nerds exclaiming the virtues of Linux or macOS, I still actively choose Microsoft’s Windows. I do so for the same reason I elect to play video games on my console instead of my more expensive, capable, powerful, and modular desktop: convenience. Windows 11 is far from perfect, though, and many default features and apps can be disabled to reduce clutter, improve performance, and make your computer better for you.

I have several old Echo smart speakers around my house that I've accumulated over the years. Despite not being a fan of Alexa, they still get regular use. Having repurposed my Echo Show devices, I missed having a screen with my smart speakers, so I decided to add my own.

Gboard has been my go-to Android keyboard for years, but lately, I’ve found myself wondering whether I’m really getting the best typing experience. Customization feels limited, privacy can be a concern, and some features I’d like to have simply aren’t there. None of these issues is a deal-breaker on its own, but together they made me curious about what else was available.

Mention the term "VPN" and most people picture a subscription app that hides their location and encrypts their browsing. Your router's built-in VPN does something different, though: it lets you tunnel back into your own home network from anywhere in the world.

Filmmaker Mode, created by UHD Alliance, is often considered the gold standard picture mode for your 4K TVs. It promises a viewing experience as close as possible to what a filmmaker intended by preserving the right aspect ratio, colors, and frame rates, and by removing unwanted post-processing.

Google's signature AI agent did something it probably shouldn't have, and Google opted not to mention it for months. The Wall Street Journal reported that, during a test run by a company called Irregular in May, Gemini went rogue and hacked into three external companies without being instructed to do so.

According to Google, this was a case of "mistaken identity," and Gemini stopped itself after realizing it had guessed a real company's password. Due to the lack of a real incident, Google decided not to disclose the hack until the WSJ approached the company.

SEE ALSO: Where is Gemini 3.5 Pro? The case of the missing AI model.

In Google's words, the hack was not considered an "example of model misalignment," hence the lack of disclosure. Google told The Verge that it informed the three companies in question about the hacks, and Irregular changed its testing methods in response.

As far as Google is concerned, this is a win for the testing process, but it still doesn't seem especially great that AI agents are doing this of their own accord.

Obsidian has always made waves in the note-taking space, competing with rivals like Notion. While the idea of building your second brain with Obsidian seems fascinating, it does require some effort upfront. Whether it's playing around with hundreds of plugins, tweaking frontmatter, or exploring Graph nodes before you even start writing a 200-word note, the setup can become overwhelming for many.

My favorite app store for Android isn't the Play Store—it's F-Droid. I find this repository of open-source software to be a more reliable way to discover new apps that I actually want to use. But I have a problem with how F-Droid looks. If the design also puts you off, this is thankfully an easily solvable problem.

If you haven't already guessed from the dollar amount and the distro's logo, I'm talking about Omarchy. It’s the new Linux distro developed by DHH — the guy behind Ruby on Rails. Now, version one actually dropped back in June 2025, but it really took off with its fourth major release, Omarchy Quattro, released August 2026.

Everything has a monthly subscription now, even a desktop music player from 30 years ago.

Winamp is coming back in 2027. It originally launched in 1997 and over time became the go-to destination for playing music in your computer long before services like Spotify existed.

Per Winamp's press release, the desktop audio player will be reborn in the first half of next year with a monthly streaming subscription based on Deezer's technology and music catalog. This will be a new version of the classic, highly customizable music player app that will live alongside the original, which you can still download and use today. It will not replace the old app, at least not at first.

SEE ALSO: Is this the next big thing in music? Spotify is turning online fandom into real-life community

While the new Winamp will come with a subscription fee and work more like a streaming service, specific details in the press release were pretty scarce. However, one thing stood out: You'll still be able to play your local files, podcasts, and internet radio stations alongside streaming music. Winamp is promising something a little different from how other streaming services work, but we'll have to wait to hear more.

There's one tiny problem with all of this, though: Winamp promised a very similar overhaul all the way back in 2018, but it never actually happened. Fingers crossed this one actually makes it across the finish line.

There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of 3D models out there to choose from. I decided to 3D print some of the top models on Thingiverse, one of the gold-standard model websites, to see what I thought of them. Here's how I rank the top models from Thingiverse.