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Kobalt tools you didn't know were recalled (and what to do if you own them)
Product recalls are just a fact of life, but we're all busy, which means you don't always realize you've bought something dangerous. I only found out my Toyota's airbags had been subject to a recall three years after it happened! Now that could have ended poorly indeed.
4 short Netflix series to download before you're caught off guard by a power outage
With it being the heart of hurricane season in the States, power outages are pretty common right now. When the lights and the internet go out, you've got to have something to do to pass the time, and having your favorite Netflix series downloaded and ready to go can be a lifesaver.
How to watch Australia vs. Samoa online for free
TL;DR: Watch Australia vs. Samoa in the 2026 Rugby League World Cup for free on 7plus. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The Rugby League World Cup final has only one place left to take. Australia takes on Samoa for the right to play in the showpiece event. We're expecting an absolutely electric contest between two talented and physical sides. There's a lot of sport taking place this weekend, but this might be the highlight.
If you want to watch the 2026 Rugby League World Cup for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Australia vs. Samoa?Australia vs. Samoa in the 2026 Rugby League World Cup starts at 4:05 a.m. ET on Nov. 8. This fixture takes place at the Allianz Stadium.
How to watch Australia vs. Samoa for freeAustralia vs. Samoa in the 2026 Rugby League World Cup is available to live stream for free on 7plus.
7plus is geo-restricted to Australia, 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 Australia, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the Rugby League World Cup from anywhere in the world.
Access free live streams of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend 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 Australia
Visit 7plus
Watch the 2026 Rugby League World Cup for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the tournament before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for 7plus?ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on 7plus, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries, including Australia
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure
Fast connection speeds
Up to eight 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 Australia vs. Samoa in the 2026 Rugby League World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.
This is what happens when you skip the router and connect your NAS directly to your PC
I figured plugging my NAS straight into my PC would be the fastest way to move files. I did not think I really needed a router in the middle to act as an extra hop. I had thought just one cable meant full speed. The idea is common enough that plenty of people try it. I didn't expect the router to be doing so much in the background.
These 3 community plugins fix Obsidian’s most annoying missing features
Obsidian is, in my opinion, incredibly powerful because it keeps its core feature set intentionally lean. It’s designed to be customizable, and the community plugins are what fill those gaps. But sometimes, those plugins don't just add cool features—they fix fundamental problems that, honestly, feel like things the app should have out of the box. Here are the three best plugins I've found, in no particular order.
AdGuard blocks all ads on 9 devices for life for just $18
TL;DR: Block ads and trackers on up to nine devices with an AdGuard Family Plan lifetime subscription for $17.97 (reg. $169.99).
Opens in a new window Credit: AdGuard AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription $17.97$169.99 Save $152.02 Get Deal
Most households have several phones, tablets, and laptops, and each one gets hit with ads and trackers. If you want to block them all with one purchase, try a lifetime subscription to the AdGuard Family Plan for $17.97 (reg. $169.99).
Ads clutter pages, but they also slow down loading times, use up mobile data, and sometimes carry malware. AdGuard removes banners, pop-ups, and video ads, so pages load faster and look cleaner. On a phone, that means fewer interruptions while you scroll and less data spent on ads you never wanted to see. AdGuard also blocks trackers, so advertisers can’t follow your activity from site to site.
Kids use the same browsers and apps as everyone else, and one wrong click can take them to a page meant for adults. Parental controls let you filter out inappropriate sites across the family’s devices. AdGuard also blocks phishing links and malicious websites, giving everyone in the house a layer of protection against scams.
AdGuard’s Family Plan covers up to nine devices running Windows, macOS, iOS, or Android. Each person can install AdGuard on their own phone or computer under the same plan. That’s three times the device count of AdGuard’s Personal Plan, enough for a couple of laptops plus everyone’s phones and tablets. At $17.97 for nine devices, you pay less than $2 per device.
Because this is a lifetime subscription, you pay once and get updates and new features as they come out. You won’t have a renewal date to track or a yearly charge to cancel. You have 30 days after purchase to redeem your code, and the deal is open to new AdGuard users only.
Block ads and trackers on the whole family’s devices with one payment.
A lifetime subscription to the AdGuard Family Plan is $17.97 through Nov. 8.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
You’re overcharging your smartwatch, and it’s aging the battery
After a long day, you probably plop your smartwatch onto its charging puck on your nightstand and leave it there overnight. Or, if you wear it to bed to track your sleep, you might leave it charging all afternoon after getting home so you can put it back on right before bedtime.
Where are screenshots saved on Windows 11 and Windows 10?
Where do screenshots go on Windows 10 and Windows 11? The answer depends entirely on how you capture the image. There is no single central folder for all screenshots, but every method has a specific default location.
2 reasons to fork your own Linux distro instead of installing someone else's (and 1 reason not to)
Most people start by simply installing a Linux distribution and then spend weeks tweaking it. When you build your own fork, though, and get a distro working for your personal use, the whole thing flips around: you bake your choices into the system from the ground up. It's probably the only way to have a true frictionless zero-setup install.
How to start your coding journey with an ESP32 (without relying on vibe coding)
Learning to code can feel intimidating when you are starting from scratch, especially if you have never worked with electronics. You might have written a few scripts or followed programming tutorials, but making software interact with physical hardware introduces an entirely different set of challenges.
Android Auto's new Gemini feature solves a problem I didn't expect
I hate having to unlock my phone just to find one little detail before driving. It could be an appointment time in Google Calendar, a hotel address buried in Gmail, or a place I saved in Google Maps after seeing it on an influencer’s page. I usually end up opening three different apps before I find what I’m looking for.
Overclocking is back, and these 6 tools do all the hard work for you
Overclocking used to be a hobby reserved for enthusiasts willing to sink hours into tweaking voltages and clock speeds before testing stability to squeeze every last bit of performance out of their hardware.
I rooted my LG TV to stop it spying on me, and it blocked things that the TV's settings didn't
A recent YouTube video by Gamers Nexus exposed the fact that LG TVs are sending huge amounts of data from your home to LG's servers. This can include information about what you're watching, even if you're watching a DVD or Blu-ray through a connected device. A lot of people have started rooting their TVs to try to stop this from happening, so I decided to give it a try.
5 free ways to track down forgotten accounts before they become a security problem
Long gone are the days of reblogging random posts or customizing your online profile with flashy backgrounds and autoplay music. But your old accounts may still be out there.
How I use Android's Notification History to clean up annoying apps
Keeping notifications on my phone under control is a constant battle. I try to disable annoying ones when they arrive, but sometimes it's just easier to ignore the problem. That's where Android's "Notification History" comes in handy, but not for the usual reasons.
Google backups are convenient, but this free open-source tool gives me real control
The Google backup ecosystem is undeniably convenient, as long as you are willing to pay for a Google One subscription. The default 15GB isn't enough for most purposes. I was tired of manually selecting and sending batches of pictures via Quick Share to free up space on my phone, and I didn't want to pay a monthly subscription fee to secure my growing media library.
The first “foldable” E Ink tablet is not what you think it is
Over the years, we've seen vast improvements in eReaders and E Ink tablets. In a world where Kindle and Kobo eReaders used to reign supreme, the market is now delightfully diverse. The E Ink Corporation takes a lot of credit for this progress. Without the display maker's modern E Ink display tech, Android tablets with ePaper screens would not exist.
Farewell Roku aquarium: Popular screensaver will be removed following billion dollar Fox acquisition
On Nov. 6, Fox closed a $22 billion deal to acquire streaming device giant Roku, and the merger already has an unforeseen casualty: The end of the Aquatic Life screensaver.
SEE ALSO: European Commission advises TikTok to redesign FYP or risk finesLast week, fans of Aquatic Life — a relaxing aquarium filled with swimming fish — noticed an alert popping up on their Roku devices, warning that their fish would soon be gone. Because it was such a fan favorite, users took to social media to mourn the screensaver's end or plead for its future. Many wrote that Aquatic Life had become an essential part of their lives.
"Before my father passed I gifted him a Roku and one of the last conversations we had was him telling me he loved these fish so much," wrote one Reddit user.
"This screensaver has been a comfort to me for about ten years or more I can't remember. My wife picked it out and she loved it. Pancreatic cancer took her from me 7 years ago," wrote another.
Why is Aquatic Life leaving Roku TVs?Some theorized the popular, ad-free screensaver was losing the company potential revenue money. Roku's annual earnings reports over the last several years have positively cited the "high-visibility placements" of device advertising, including on its screensavers.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Others suggested Roku's new ownership may have been the nail in the coffin, with rumors circulating that the screensaver's developer had ended its licensing deal following Fox's entry. In an interview with ArsTechnica, Jim Sachs, the artist behind the screensaver, confirmed he chose not to renew his annual $80,000 licensing agreement after learning of the $22 billion deal. The deal was his primary form of income, Sachs told ArsTechnica.
"I can’t be part of the Fox world," Sachs told the publication, alluding to the controversial reputation of Fox News. "It seems that Fox simply wants another venue for spreading their philosophy, which I consider repugnant. I can’t stand the idea of my artwork being used to lure even one person down that rabbit hole."
When will Aquatic Life leave Roku?Users who currently have their screens set to the serene aquarium will be moved into Roku City on Dec. 1. Roku City — the company's default screensaver and native ad placement spot — has garnered its own cult following and meme status over the years. The company has leaned into the popularity heavily, adding viral easter eggs and pop culture references intended to stir online conversation.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.But not everyone is a fan of the streaming metropolis.
"Likely because we live in a corporate dystopian hellscape and it's hard for them to shove advertisements into fish. This fucking sucks. No reason given. We just can't have nice things. Fuck Roku City," wrote one X user.
Roku has not publicly commented on customer demands to bring back Aquatic Life. Sachs said the company has asked him to renew the license, but that he wasn't willing to do so until Fox reverses its "rage-based business model" and chooses to "take responsibility for all the harm it has caused."
In the meantime, aquarium lovers can download the screensaver for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, or find an alternative on Roku.
Logitech MX Keypad review: dedicated page buttons make nine keys feel like plenty
Two years ago, Logitech got into the LCD-based macro keypad game with the MX Creative Console after buying Loupedeck in 2023. Recently, Logitech released a more affordable macro keypad than the MX Creative Console with the MX Keypad. I’ve spent the past few weeks using Logitech’s latest release and I have to say, I like it a lot more than I thought I would.
Chinas moon plan mirrors NASAs, except for one big difference
China's plan to land people on the moon by 2030 mirrors NASA's on paper but skips crewed lunar test flights, trusting robotic rehearsals for its first human landing instead.
Chinese space officials laid out their approach at the 7th Manned Space Symposium in Beijing on Oct. 31, according to Xinhua, the Chinese government's wire service. A slide reportedly from the presentation posted by CNSpaceflight, an independent outlet that tracks the Chinese space program, shows two of the initial missions with nobody aboard. A crew flies the Mengzhou, or "Dream Vessel," capsule to Earth orbit in 2027. Then the robots take over. The Lanyue, or "Embracing the Moon," lander touches down on its own in 2028, and an uncrewed mission rehearses the full landing sequence in 2029.
"For any crewed mission, we will try to fly it in an unmanned state first," said Wang Xiang, chief designer of the Chinese lunar exploration program, in the English captions of a CCTV report, China's state-run broadcaster.
The split cuts to the heart of a heated new space race and reveals two different institutional cultures. China's tight-lipped, military-run program trusts machines to prove its lunar hardware works. NASA's civilian program, working in public view to land astronauts first in 2028, leverages human test pilots. U.S. leaders say they're reviving the Apollo playbook that beat the Soviet Union to the moon: put crews on key test flights, launch often, and build on each mission.
"It's not entrepreneurial thinking or tech industry pixie dust or some new management philosophy," said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman at a news conference on Oct. 23. "It's a playbook this agency knows really well — the same playbook that went from Apollo 7 splashdown to Apollo 11 in just nine months."
SEE ALSO: New photo reveals an asteroid view that a NASA spacecraft never sawNASA has already flown one of those crewed test flights. Artemis II sent four astronauts around the moon in April. Next year, the four-person Artemis III crew will spend about two weeks in Earth orbit practicing maneuvers to dock the Orion spaceship with test versions of two commercial landers.
One lander is from Blue Origin, and the other is from SpaceX. Astronauts will climb into Blue Origin's lander to check its air and life-support systems, but will only briefly dock with Starship.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Earlier this year, NASA decided to do that test as a separate mission, shoehorned between Artemis II and the first crewed moon landing. If something goes wrong, "we can come home much more quickly," explained Jeremy Parsons, who manages NASA's Artemis program.
Apollo followed roughly the same script. Four crewed test flights came before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed in July 1969. China's first crew to head for the moon will be the one that lands.
Despite this major difference between the plans, NASA will lean on some robotics, too. SpaceX aims to land an uncrewed Starship on the moon by the end of 2027, and Blue Origin is working on its own uncrewed demonstration after Artemis III. NASA will keep both landers in the running as long as possible before picking one for its first crew, while China is building a single lander.
In other ways, the two plans look alike. Two Long March-10 rockets will launch China's capsule and lander separately, and the pair will link up in orbit around the moon. Two of the three crew members will then ride the lander to the surface and back. NASA's Orion carries four astronauts but also sends just two down. Blue Origin's lander even follows China's route, flying to lunar orbit on its own to meet the crew. SpaceX breaks the pattern, docking its Starship with Orion near Earth and pushing the spaceship to the moon.
Left: Blue Origin A schematic of what Artemis IV's flight would look like with Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander. Credit: NASA infographic Right: SpaceX A schematic of Artemis IV paired with SpaceX's Starship moon lander. Credit: NASA infographicWant more science and tech news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter today.
China says its uncrewed flights will make the first crewed landing safer. Its robotic lander also will gather some scientific data, measuring how hot the lunar surface gets and how the dust behaves. Its 2029 rehearsal will run every step, from docking in lunar orbit to landing, lifting off and docking again. The program has already completed early tests of its rocket, capsule, and lander.
The race, Isaacman warned, "will be much closer than it ever needed to be," emphasizing that China has the spacecraft, landers, and a "credible two-launch architecture" to put taikonauts, the Chinese term for astronauts, on the moon within three years.
NASA's own deadlines have slipped repeatedly. Artemis first aimed for a 2024 landing, and Isaacman recently acknowledged that Artemis III was running about three months behind schedule.
He conceded that urgency has its limits: "No amount of my enthusiasm or schedule pressure changes the laws of physics."


