There's a Quicker Way to Type Emoji on Your Mac Keyboard

Summary Emoji are more popular than ever, which is why Apple has made them so quick and easy to type on the Mac. In fact, you can add relevant emoji quicker than ever before on your Mac. Here’s how. Swap Words for Emoji With the Fn Key Modern Macs feature a Function (Fn) key in the bottom-left corner of the keyboard that acts as an emoji picker, language switcher, and a way to bypass the media controls at the top of the keyboard....

May 26, 2025 · 3 min · 544 words · Mark Rios

This Daily Song-Guessing Game Is a Welcome Break From Wordle

Summary I’m a big fan of getting my brain in gear with daily games like Wordle and Connections, but many of them revolve around words and it gets a bit repetitive. That’s partly why Bandle, where you guess a song one instrument at a time, has quickly become one of my favorite ways to start the day. What Is Bandle? Bandleis a free game where the aim is to listen to a song and name it....

May 26, 2025 · 3 min · 495 words · Beth Patel

This iPhone Analog Camera App Is Making Android Users Jealous

Quick Links VSCO’s new camera app is a dream for photographers and enthusiasts who want to add a film-like, vintage analog look to their pictures. But some extra features in this new app make it stand out from other third-party camera apps. VSCO’s Capture app, currently only available for iPhone users, offers a stunning collection of presets that align with the editing platform’s offering of effects in its native app. Let’s take a look at what the app can do, some sample pictures, and why Android users want to get in on the action....

May 26, 2025 · 6 min · 1257 words · Timothy Briggs

This Mid-Size SUV Blends Luxury With High-Octane Performance

Blending upscale comfort with sports car DNA, this mid-size SUV delivers a driving experience few competitors can match. Its sculpted design and refined interior set the tone, while advanced technology and premium materials make every journey feel first-class. Beneath the luxurious surface lies serious performance capability. Responsive handling, powerful engine options, and precision-tuned dynamics give it an athletic edge, whether navigating city streets or carving through winding roads. It’s proof that utility and excitement don’t have to be mutually exclusive....

May 26, 2025 · 6 min · 1267 words · William Boyd

This Open Source App Finally Got Me to Leave Google Photos

I’ve been using Google Photos ever since it launched a decade ago, but have recently been thinking of switching to an alternative. As much as I like Google’s app, I want something with a greater focus on privacy. Ente Photos offers exactly that. Why I Chose Ente Photos Ente Photos(it’s pronounced en-tay) is in many ways the anti-Google Photos. It’s a privacy-first service. It’s open-source. Photos are encrypted, so they aren’t constantly being scanned and used to train AI....

May 26, 2025 · 5 min · 888 words · Ashley Cross

Today's NYT Connections Hints and Answer for July 21 (#406)

Quick Links Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn’t—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they’re usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we’ve got you covered. What Is Connections? Connections is a game from the New York Times. The objective is simple: sort 16 words into groups of 4....

May 26, 2025 · 3 min · 480 words · Joyce Henry

Today's NYT Connections Hints and Answer for June 26 (#381)

Quick Links Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn’t—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they’re usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we’ve got you covered. What Is Connections? Connections is a game from the New York Times. The objective is simple: sort 16 words into groups of 4....

May 26, 2025 · 3 min · 432 words · Cody Stone

Why Do We Still Have a Control Panel in Windows?

The Control Panel in Windows has literally been a part of the operating system since Windows 1.0, but Microsoft decided along the way that it should be replaced with something more modern. The thing is, the replacement and the Control Panel now exist side-by-side and have for years, so why can’t the folks from Redmond finally retire the venerable Control Panel? While I can’t read the minds of the decision makers, I think there are some likely reasons....

May 26, 2025 · 6 min · 1099 words · Sean Franklin

Why I Put Thumbstick Grips on Every Controller I Own

Summary For years, I used controllers with naked analog sticks. But after I dressed up my first pair of thumbsticks with some removable thumbstick covers, I never looked back. Here’s why. Thumbstick Grips Prevent Joystick Rubber Degradation I got my first wireless controller in 2013. It wasn’t a high-end model, but I remember it was touted as a pretty solid budget option. Less than a year later, in early 2014, I remember playingSouth Park: The Stick of Truthwith the left thumbstick completely naked, its plastic skeleton exposed because the rubber coating had completely worn away....

May 26, 2025 · 4 min · 651 words · Olivia Robinson

Why I Use Virtual Machines for Work

Ever accidentally copy something very personal into your work chat? It’s a nightmare scenario for anyone who uses their personal device for work (employers might be worried about data moving in the other direction, too). Here’s how to avoid mixing work with play with virtual machines. Virtualization: Now Accessible To Everyday Users Virtualization means running a whole computer… inside your computer. An entire virtualized computer (called avirtual machine) can be entirely isolated from your physical PC, and act as if it is its own separate device....

May 26, 2025 · 4 min · 779 words · Misty Gross

Why I’m Excited That Rust Is Coming to the Linux Kernel

A slow change is coming to the Linux kernel, and it’s as fundamental as it gets for programmers: the very language they write in. Such an impactful move has to be handled carefully, but it’s cause for celebration. What’s the Linux Kernel Written In at the Moment? The Linux kernel is the core of the operating system, with low-level control of resources like memory, processor, and file systems. It’s the kind of software that is hidden from 99....

May 26, 2025 · 4 min · 842 words · Marvin Rodriguez

Why the Heck Is Amazon Selling These Fake 16 Terabyte Portable SSD Drives?

Quick Links Summary If you see a 16 terabyte portable SSD on Amazon for $100 or less, don’t buy it. Such a drive would cost thousands of dollars. These are nothing more than a scam, and don’t work well at all. We bought one and got a glorified 64GB hard drive. When it comes to portable hard drives, bigger is usually better. You want lots of space for photos, videos, or anything else....

May 26, 2025 · 9 min · 1719 words · Veronica Stone

Windows Hello Has a New Look on Windows 11

Microsoft has released a new Windows 11 Insider Preview Build to the Beta Channel. This release brings a new Windows Hello UI on top of other improvements. The new build for Windows 11 Insiders to try is 22635.4440 (KB5045889) and comes with an updated Windows Hello visual that is supposed to make sign ins a lot cleaner on both the main log in page and other authentication flows. This does looks a little cleaner than before, and now users can switch between authentication options and select passkey/devices more easily....

May 26, 2025 · 2 min · 332 words · Nicolas Todd