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These 6 Linux file managers are way better than your default

D3Damon/Getty The file manager might not be a feature on your desktop that you've ever considered changing, but once you've seen a better option, you can't unsee it. I've used nearly every file manager on the market, and some are far better than others. Also: 5 Linux file and folder management commands you need to know If you find the file manager on your Linux desktop of choice isn't cutting it, here are six alternatives. One of these could well become your favorite Linux file manager. 1. K

How to maximize your Windows 11 PC's battery life in 9 easy steps

Kerry Wan/ZDNET Over the years, Windows PCs have gotten considerably more capable of squeezing a full day of work out of a laptop battery, but there's still a certain level of anxiety that comes with disconnecting from a fixed power source. That's especially true if you have an older PC that's lost some of its battery capacity with age. Also: Your complete Windows 11 upgrade guide: Everything to know - before you ditch Windows 10 Reducing battery anxiety doesn't require drugs or meditation. A

"English Translators of Homer": A Review

“English Translators of Homer” by Simeon Underwood July 12, 2025 I must caveat the rest of my remarks by saying I believe the book I was looking for would be titled “English Translations of Homer” rather than “English Translators of Homer.” This book is a history of the translators, the choices they made in translation, and how they were influenced by previous translations and by the style and culture of their times. Whereas, what I was looking for would spend more time comparing the texts. Th

Apple Weather app is returning after total outage

Apple’s Weather app went down for many users, showing no data. The issue applied on all platforms, suggesting a server issue. However, it now seems to be slowly returning … In what appears to be a relatively brief complete outage, many users reported that the app was showing no weather for any location. We were able to confirm that the issue applied across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The outage lasted around 15-20 minutes. While the underlying issue appears to have been resolved, it seems to be ta

US probes imports on drones and a raw material used in chips and solar panels

The Department of Commerce has opened national security investigations into imports of drones and polysilicon , a raw material used in chips and solar panels. Among other things, officials are looking into "predatory trade practices" and the capacity of other countries to "weaponize their control over supplies" of drones, drone parts and polysilicon, as well as derivatives of each. The DoC commenced the investigations on July 1, but has only just disclosed them publicly. The probes could lead t

6 reasons why I've stuck with Ubuntu-based Linux distros for the last 20 years

Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET It was October 2004, and I'd been using Red Hat Linux (way before it became Fedora) for years. I was fairly certain that would be my distribution until the world ended. I'd become comfortable with Red Hat. Sure, it had its quirks and was sometimes a bit more difficult than it needed to be (remember, it was over 20 years ago), but it was stable and I'd grown to know it well. But then a new distribution arrived on the scene... Ubuntu. Oddly enough, the

I'm taking my favorite portable vinyl player on all my summer trips

ZDNET's key takeaways The Audio-Technica Sound Burger retails for $199 and comes in yellow, black, or white. The Sound Burger has unparalleled portability, a long battery life, and provides a novel listening experience. It doesn't have a counterweight, and also doesn't have an auto-return feature. View now at Amazon Technology is all about embracing the now. So, even though I am one of those people who can be stuck in their ways (such as listening to vinyl records with the appropriate analog

Finally, a battery floodlight camera that's perfect for my dark yard

ZDNET's key takeaways The Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera is a practical, battery-powered solution for darker areas around your house that lack wiring and outlets. The AA batteries allow the floodlights to beam at 700 nits of brightness, which is not the most powerful on the market but good enough to see your surroundings. The Blink app is feature-rich, with plenty of camera settings to customize for the best surveillance, but you'll need a paid subscription to unlock the best features. View

Micro Adventure – Space Attack (online emulator)

Good luck. This message will be erased from memory in 30 seconds. As a certified member of ACT (the Ad­venture Connection Team) your job, as always, is to defend the cause of good against evil. It won’t be easy, because BRUTE (the Bureau of Random Unlawful Terror and Evil - an international organization bent on wreaking havoc throughout the world) will be fighting you every step of the way. Your computer expertise will be vital to this mission. So turn on your home system. Throughout this adven

Random selection is necessary to create stable meritocratic institutions

Campbell's Law (a variant of Goodhart's Law) states that the more a metric is used for social decision-making, the more it will be subject to corruption which distorts and corrupts not only the metric itself, but the very social processes it was meant to measure. Selection criteria for a position of authority are one example of such a metric. When selection criteria are opaque, it is difficult for them to become a target, preserving their utility as measures. For governance positions however, it

The Moving Assembly Line Turns 100 (2013)

This month marks the official celebration of the world’s first moving assembly line. On Oct. 7, 1913, 140 assemblers stationed along a 150-foot chassis line at a Ford Motor Co. plant just north of Detroit stood in place as the work came to them. With the aid of three-wheeled dollies, chassis were pushed by hand along parallel rails embedded in the floor of the Highland Park plant. Six months earlier, Ford engineers had experimented with a movable line for assembling flywheel magnetos, a key com

A Little-Known Microsoft Program Could Expose the Defense Department to Hackers

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Reporting Highlights Chinese Tech Support: Microsoft is using engineers in China to help maintain the Defense Department’s computer systems — with minimal supervision by U.S. personnel. Microsoft is using engineers in China to help maintain the Defense Department’s computer systems — with minimal supervision by U.S. personnel. Skills Gap: Digital escorts of

The Promise of Li-Fi Technology: What Is It and Can It Change the Future of the Internet?

It sounds like it's from a sci-fi movie --- but you heard that correctly. The future of connecting to the internet could be as simple as turning on the light. Picture this: Using this technology to connect to the internet promises speeds that will blow Wi-Fi out of the park. The average household requires more and more bandwidth, with users spending an average of 21-plus hours streaming weekly, according to the latest OpenVault report. That makes the promise of Li-Fi convenient. Li-Fi has made p

Peacock Promo Code & Deals: 16% Off July 2025

Named after NBC’s iconic logo, Peacock is a video streaming service primarily featuring series and film content from NBC Universal studios, as well as news and sports programming. Premium tiers include a larger content library and access to additional NBC Sports, Hallmark Channel, and WWE content—yes, we’re talkin’ wrasslin.’ And right now, you can get access to all those programs with a Peacock Premium subscription. Save on your first 12 months with top Peacock promo codes and subscriptions, st

Joby Aviation doubles pilot eVTOL facility capacity as it races to launch air taxis

Joby Aviation has doubled the size and production capacity of its pilot manufacturing facility in Marina, California, as it races to commercialize eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles) by early next year. The now-435,500-square-foot facility will be able to produce 24 aircraft per year, and “nearly one” every other week once fully operational, according to Joby. The facility will also support federal certification, ground and flight testing, pilot training, and aircraft mainte

Beware! Research shows Gmail’s AI email summaries can be hacked

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR A researcher recently demonstrated a Gemini flaw that could be exploited to inject malicious instructions while using Gmail’s email summary feature. These instructions were hidden in plain text under the body of the email. Google responded to the research, stating that it had updated its models to identify such prompt engineering measures and block phishing links. Big tech companies have been billing AI as the ubiquitous tool that frees us from munda

Starlink vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: Clash of the Broadband Disruptors

So, what makes Starlink and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet the biggest names in rural broadband? One word: Availability. Both providers offer extensive wireless coverage in places where fiber and cable can't reach, making them a top option for rural communities. While Starlink has effectively revolutionized satellite internet with its fleet of low Earth orbit satellites, and has reportedly doubled its speeds compared to two years ago, we would still recommend T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. Not only is i

I was wrong about Obsidian: Here’s why it’s actually a powerful app

Bogdan Petrovan / Android Authority Obsidian sat unused in my app drawer for months. I tried playing around with it when I first set out to ditch big tech from my digital life, but I found it far too intimidating and clunky. I’d poke around in it every now and again, and then scurry back to Google Keep. Obsidian clearly wasn’t for me. Then, something subtle shifted that made me reconsider the purple app. So now I’m doing something I never thought I would: singing the praises of Obsidian. Now,

You may be able to buy Apple products without paying state sales tax

If you live in one of nine eligible states, you can buy a range of Apple products without paying state sales tax. The sales tax holidays take place annually, with varying dates and product eligibility, but in almost all cases you get only a few days to act … Sales tax holidays are brief periods in which states let companies sell products without adding sales tax to the total. Local sales taxes may still apply. In most cases, the ability to take advantage of them for Apple purchases is constra

The Morning After: Switch 2 user accidentally banned after playing pre-owned game cards

Be extra careful where you buy your used Nintendo Switch game cards. A Switch 2 owner posted on Reddit about how their account was banned after downloading patches for a few Switch game cards they'd bought from Facebook Marketplace. The Switch 2 user contacted Nintendo support and discovered they were banned, but they provided proof of purchase and were unbanned shortly after. The Redditor said the “whole process was painless and fluid.” Nintendo Nintendo attaches unique codes to its Switch ga

You can try Linux without abandoning Windows through dual-booting - here's how

ZDNET With Windows 10 support due to end soon, many users are looking for an alternative OS, so they don't have to purchase yet another computer. One of the best options for most people is Linux. Modern Linux distributions are user-friendly, rock-solid, and free. If you have zero experience with Linux, you might think it's above your skills, so you have yet to find the courage to use it. Back in 1997, when I discovered Linux, I was clueless about how it worked. When I finally installed the ope

I used Suno AI to cover my own demo album

How I used Suno AI to cover my own demo album When I was young and had too much free time, I used to write and record music. I wasn’t very successful—mostly because I couldn’t sing or play any instruments. The songs always ended up sounding much worse than they did in my head. But now, it turns out I can just feed my old demo songs to AI and ask it to do a better job. So that’s what I did—and the result exceeded all my expectations. It’s crazy how well it can follow the song structure, includ

If You Have a Headache, Experts Recommend Eating These 9 Foods

Next time you have a headache, consider looking in your fridge or pantry for relief. Though they're not miracle cures, several foods may provide relief next time you have a headache or migraine, in addition to maintaining your hydration, exercise routine, sleep and managing stress. "The most important thing I tell patients is that migraines are highly individualized," says Dr. Nicholas Church, a board-certified member of the American Board of Family Medicine and the American Academy of Family P

Here's Everything You Need to Know About Satellite Connectivity in Phones

The words "satellite phone" probably conjure up an image of a clunky mobile monstrosity straight out of a spy thriller. These bulky and utilitarian traditional satellite phones are typically required in remote locations where cellular networks are unavailable. Nowadays, however, satellite connectivity can be found in regular smartphones too, thanks to new hardware innovations and unique partnerships with satellite network providers. They can't fully replace traditional satellite phones, but in

Our Favorite Bottle Washers for Keeping Your Baby Bottles Safe and Clean (2025)

I like to think of the Baby Brezza Bottle Washer Pro as the pioneer of bottle washers. It paved the way for what I think will be a booming baby product in the next few years, and the Brezza specifically is consistently a top seller across retailers, so it felt like a natural to try first. The Brezza does what it promises. It washes and sterilizes well, and it uses less water than many competitors—great if you're working with limited filtered or purified water. Like most bottle washers I’ve trie

Can Nextdoor overhaul itself to be useful?

is features writer with five years of experience covering the companies that shape technology and the people who use their tools. In an era of social media-based restaurant reviewers, local neighborhood influencers, and an urgent need for trustworthy on-the-ground reports during moments of crisis, a crowdsourced hyperlocal platform like Nextdoor seems like a no-brainer. Yet something wasn’t clicking. Some people were installing Nextdoor and finding a flood of irrelevant updates and notification

The EU is testing a prototype age verification app

The European Union is piloting a blueprint for age verification apps in Denmark, Greece, Spain, France, and Italy that aims to make it easier for online platforms to comply with rules that require them to protect minors. The app prototype was announced on Monday alongside guidelines that online platforms are recommended to adopt in order to comply with the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA). “Making sure our children and young people are safe online is of paramount importance to this Commission,

Nextdoor redesigns app with AI recommendations, local news, and real-time emergency alerts

Neighborhood social app Nextdoor is launching a redesigned version of its service that it’s calling the “new Nextdoor.” The app is adding local news, real-time alerts, and an AI-powered feature called “Faves” that’s designed for discovering local businesses and spots. Nextdoor has also updated its overall design to look more contemporary. Launched 15 years ago, Nextdoor has long served as a popular platform for neighborhood conversations, helping users connect over things like recommendations f

Clashes between web and X11 colors in the CSS color scheme

In computing, on the X Window System, X11 color names are represented in a simple text file, which maps certain strings to RGB color values. It was traditionally shipped with every X11 installation, hence the name, and is usually located in <X11root>/lib/X11/rgb.txt . The web colors list is descended from it but differs for certain color names.[1] Color names are not standardized by Xlib or the X11 protocol. The list does not show continuity either in selected color values or in color names, an

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