Ubuntu Desktopisn’t as popular as it once was, but it serves as the foundation for many other desktop Linux distributions, includinga few official spin-offs. However, there’s now a significant change coming to all official Ubuntu derivatives. Canonical is the primary company behind Ubuntu Linux, but it also developsthe Snap format, a container and distribution technology for Linux applications. Snap has proven controversial in the Linux ecosystem, thanks to its centralized design and occasional poor performance....

Quick Links As it dawns on us that the internet isn’t forever, and you don’t really have control over your digital media, it’s becoming more popular to collect physical media. While DVDs and Blu-ray media are a non-issue, what about older formats like LaserDisc and VHS? Should anyone be collecting these? If so, which one makes the most sense? Quality and Format Differences LaserDisc is a higher quality format than VHS, period....

The first Thunderbolt 5-equipped laptop has arrived. Razer is now offering the 2024 Razer Blade 18 with prices starting at a whopping-yet-predictable $3,100. We first saw the2024 Razer Blade 18atCES 2024. It’s incredibly powerful for a 0.86-inch thick unit, packing a 14th Gen Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, 32GB of 5600MHz DDR5 RAM, 1TB of M.2 PCIe 4.0 storage, RTX 4070 graphics, and Wi-Fi 7 in its base configuration. If that’s not enough, you can configure the laptop with 64GB of memory, 4TB of storage (2TBx2), and an RTX 4080 or 4090 GPU....

Xbox controllers are great. Not only are they the best choice for an Xbox console, they also happen to work great on many other gaming platforms, whether that’s your phone, your PC, or even other other consoles with the use of unofficial adapters. Microsoft also likes to release them in several different colorways. These new options, however, are perhaps among the best-looking ones if you’re not completely convinced by previous designs....

Quick Links Summary Is your Instagram Explore page filled with posts you’re not interested in? Perhaps you’re a Marvel fan, but your Explore page is filled with DC content. Fortunately, it’s simple to reset your Instagram Explore feed and customize it to show the content you actually want to see. How Instagram Decides What to Show on Your Explore Page The Instagram Explore page is designed to mainly show photos and videos from accounts you don’t follow—hence “Explore....

In case you didn’t know, Netflix has a new plan to prevent account and password sharing, aiming toeliminate freeloaders. After testing the system for months, anyone trying to use Netflix outside the account’s “primary location” will have trouble. This week, Netflixupdated the FAQ sectionon its website, detailing how it will prevent users from sharing their accounts. People trying to use Netflix from a different location will “need to use their own account....

Now that theQi2 standardis finalized, some new Android phones will be compatible with Apple’s MagSafe technology. But the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra doesn’t support Qi2 charging. If you want to pair your Galaxy S24 Ultra with a MagSafe accessory, you need a MagSafe case—this may reduce S Pen performance, but the effect is mostly negligible. Touchscreens are capacitive; they use two layers of film to detect the pressure from your finger....

Following this month’s presidential election, flocks of ex-Twitter users are migrating to Bluesky. If you ever plan to join them, you should grab the perfect account handle before it’s gone. Bluesky Is Experiencing a Signup Surge Bluesky is a decentralized social media platformheavily inspired by Twitter (now known as X), which should come as no surprise since both platforms were created at least in part by Jack Dorsey. While Bluesky shares Twitter’s tight character limit and clean design language, it differs in its decentralized nature along withits alternative approach to feeds....

The latest Parallels Desktop update (v20.3) is a doozy. Not only does it build on Parallels' x86 emulation engine, but it introduces OBS virtual camera support in VMs, USB device support on virtualized Mac desktops, Touch ID login, and more. Let’s start with x86 emulation, since that’s the only thing that isn’t really “new” here. Parallels Desktop began usingFEX, an open-source app, as the basis for its emulation enginein Januaryof this year....

Proton has announced that it now runs over 11,000 VPN servers in over 110 countries. The news comes as demand for VPN services continues to increase, largely due to more internet censorship. Proton said in a blog post, “As Proton VPN expands, the usage from our growing community has put additional pressure on our server infrastructure. Adding more servers reduces the average server load, ensuring a better and more reliable service for everyone....

Whether you’ve recently taken a Microsoft Excel course or you want to check that you’re up-to-date with the program’s latest capabilities, take the How-To Geek Advanced Excel Test and see how you fare! This is the third of a three-part series. The first is thebeginner skills test, and the second is theintermediate skills test. Download a free copy of theHow-To Geek Advanced Excel Testworkbook. After you click the link, you’ll find the download button in the top-right corner of your screen....

Quick Links Summary As the “War on Cars” heats up, more people are turning to electric bikes. However, to truly replace a car, an e-bike needs to be able to haul cargo and passengers. That’s what theRad Power RadWagon 4attempts to do. Like many people, I live in an area that’s pretty close to a city but not at all walkable. Almost everywhere I need to go in my daily life requires getting into my car....

Summary A smart speaker in the bedroom can perform all sorts of tasks, from taking commands and triggering smart home devices to even helping you get to sleep. Here’s how to hopefully get a better night’s sleep with your Google, Amazon, or Apple smart speaker. Use Your Smart Speaker as a White Noise Generator White noise refers to a sound that includes all audio frequencies across the audio spectrum. It sounds like a constant hiss and is often associated with detuned analog broadcasts on TV or radio....