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How building a NAS with an SBC can save you money
Build your NAS for less with a small-board computer.
A small-board computer (SBC) is a compact system that can run the same software as a desktop PC on some Linux flavor or Windows. They're capable devices with powerful processors, upgradable and expandable parts, and healthy modding ecosystems. You can find SBCs powering surveillance systems, media centers, and storage solutions. It's possible to transform an SBC into a network-attached storage (NAS) server where you can store backups, sensitive data, and more. Compared to pre-built NAS enclosures from Synology, Asustor, and other brands, this could save you money.
After speaking with Intel, I'm excited for the future of "AI PC"
We interviewed Robert Hallock, Senior Director of Technical Marketing at Intel, to talk about what the future of AI looks like to Intel.
Intel has been going through a bit of a transformation of sorts in the last few months. Pushed by the improvements of chip competitor AMD and the AI dominance of Nvidia, the company has put its foot down and committed to supporting both AI and improving its fabrication nodes at a breakneck pace. Intel doesn't just want to ensure its processors are powerful, but it also wants them to be the smartest in the business.
Start11 vs StartAllBack: Choosing the best Start menu replacement
Start11 and StartAllBack are the two most popular Start menu replacements out there. We've used them both, so which one is better?
As many users have found themselves unhappy with the Start menu on Windows 11, a lot of options have popped up to help you replace it with a better alternative. Two of the top options you'll find out there are Start11 and StartAllBack, both of which have a long legacy as Windows Start menu replacements.
4 reasons I always recommend Intel over AMD to the average gamer
For most gamers out there, Intel is clearly the better choice when building a gaming PC. Here are the simple reasons why
When it comes to building a gaming PC, you have two choices for the processor — Intel and AMD. Brand preference aside, which camp you go with depends on which processor lineup is currently faring better on various parameters such as price-to-performance, features, overall platform cost, platform longevity, power efficiency, and more.
5 reasons Snapdragon X Elite will finally get me to upgrade
Time to bid goodbye to my 7-year-old HP Spectre x360
I have been using Windows since college, and bought my first premium Windows laptop (HP Spectre x360) after graduation in late 2016. I usually upgrade my laptop every five years, but I kept holding onto the current Windows convertible since I couldn’t find a worthwhile upgrade that met my expectations. That said, the introduction of the Snapdragon X Elite CPU from Qualcomm may finally convince me to move on from my Spectre x360.
Here's everything you need to know about RSAT, Microsoft's remote server management tool
RSAT is a set of tools that allow you to manage remote Windows Server machines. Here's what you need to know.
If you're a Windows IT administrator, you've probably heard of RSAT before, but for everyone else, there's a good chance this crucial tool is completely new to you. RSAT is short for Remote Server Administration Tools, and as the name sort of suggests, it's a set of tools useful for managing Windows Server instances remotely.
5 of the weirdest but coolest laptops in the last decade
Mainstream laptops with conventional designs and run-of-the-mill features don't even compare with these eccentric devices
2024 is a great year for laptop lovers. From top-tier gaming battle stations like the Alienware m18 R2 to the more professional Samsung Galaxy Book 4, there’s plenty to choose from, regardless of your preferences.
These are the best ways to play retro games anywhere
If you want to relive the classics, there are a few ways that you can play retro games literally anywhere.
Retro games are great. Old classics like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, and a ton of others across a span of consoles are some of the greatest games of all time. Modern technology allows you to play them anywhere, and these are some of the best ways you can enjoy the classics no matter where you go.
AI wants to help you: 5 creative ways to use LLMs
Don't miss these great opportunities where AI could be saving you time, money, and hassle
Over the past 18 months, LLMs (Large Language Models) have been making dramatic strides forward, and better yet are improving all the time. These improvements have sometimes been locked behind paywalls, like GPT-4 and DALL-E, but new mediums have also become available. LLMs are now available for everything from AI content generation, image processing, video editing, and much more, as well as a host of software generation and debugging tools. The rate of change within AI at the moment is stunning, so it's easy to miss opportunities where AI could be saving you time, money, and hassle right now. Let's take a look at how you can make the most of these tools.
Here's why RISC-V is so important
You might not have heard about it, but RISC-V is slowly revolutionizing how all kinds of devices are built.
RISC-V has been an industry buzzword over the last few years, making waves with a range of wacky devices and chips from all sorts of manufacturers. This often-hyped technology has sometimes struggled to live up to expectations, but it is slowly looking more poised to revolutionize the semiconductor market.
10 ways a gaming PC is different from your regular PC
While they're similar at a basic level, gaming PCs have some stark differences compared to regular PCs
If you haven't been inducted into the PC gaming community yet, you might have some doubts about what exactly constitutes "gaming PCs". After all, isn't every PC fundamentally the same? Well, in many ways, yes. But, there are also a lot of differences between gaming PCs and regular PCs, right from the kind of components used to the considerations involved when building a gaming PC.
Microsoft Roadmap Weekly: one of the most-anticipated Teams features, a new AI capability for Excel, and more
From AI-powered meeting summaries to all kinds of integrations, there's a lot in the works for Microsoft 365.
Another week has passed, and Microsoft hasn't disappointed us with its consistent effort to keep us updated about what new features it's working on for Microsoft 365 apps. And like every week, we're at it again to tell and explain to you in detail about all the important capabilities that Microsoft added to its roadmap website last week.
Why 27-inch monitors are king for gaming and you should buy one
Looking for the perfect monitor size? 27 inches is your best bet.
When shopping around for a monitor, be it for work or play, you'll have the choice of many screen sizes. Which is best for gaming? 27-inch screens have become a popular choice for gamers due to their size and resolution support. By buying a 27-inch display with a maximum resolution of 1440p (QHD) or 2160p (UHD), you'll achieve the sweet spot of gaming screens. There are a few reasons why 27 inches is the sweet spot for PC gaming, including pixels-per-inch, physical size of the display, and distance from the desk.
Although Microsoft announced Loop in November 2021, the company took its time and finally released the first preview in March 2023. While this Notion alternative was pretty bare-bones at launch, it has received a steady stream of updates since then. If you are still wondering about Microsoft’s new collaborative hub, check out the top reasons to use Microsoft Loop on your laptop.
4 simple and creative ways to keep your old laptop out of the landfill for Earth Day
This Earth Day, keep that aging laptop you have lying around out of a landfill with these four cool ideas.
With endless room for growth and constant innovation, the technology industry isn't exactly known for its sustainability. New products are always being created, and older ones are continuously becoming obsolete in a perpetual cycle. This Earth Day, we have an opportunity as consumers and tech enthusiasts to reflect on how we use — and get rid of — our great laptops when they're no longer great. Recycling is always better than sending a laptop to the landfill (and in many cases, throwing away anything with a lithium-ion battery is illegal or strongly discouraged), but the best way to combat E-waste is to keep old hardware up and running for as long as possible. Even when you need a new daily-driver laptop, there are plenty of ways to give the one you're replacing a new lease on life.
If you're buying a router, these are the specs you need to think about
Buying a router can be complicated, but these are the most important specs to make sure you get the right one.
Buying a router can be overwhelming with a ton of marketing lingo, specs that are hard to compare across generations, and confusing coverage claims. If you’re reading from the box in a store or you’re scrolling past hundreds of identical-looking routers on Amazon, you’ll see big claims about routers offering multi-gig speeds, being optimized for gaming, or even offers of extra security.
6 reasons every other SBC dwarfs in comparison to the Raspberry Pi 5
While you can find plenty of objectively superior systems, the Raspberry Pi remains the crème de la crème SBC for beginners and experts alike
Although the Raspberry Pi wasn’t the first-ever SBC, its release in 2012 marked a turning point for the DIY landscape. Initially developed as a means to get students interested in coding, the RPi boards saw unprecedented success over the years, exposing a huge crowd of coders, tinkerers, and even beginners to the complex yet satisfying world of do-it-yourself projects.
From gaming to robotics, these are the top 5 DIY projects you should do with an SBC
Don't miss out on all the fun, grab an SBC and start one of these great DIY projects
Modern SBCs have come a long way since their initial development as basic server PCs and have become extremely versatile machines that can be used in so many different ways. Since the popularization of the Raspberry Pi, which is considered the best SBC on the market, PC enthusiasts and hobbyists alike have been using these tiny computers to do all sorts of incredible things, from building retro gaming consoles to machine learning and home servers.
First 10 things to do with a new Mac
Bought a new Mac recently? Check off these things first and familiarize yourself with Apple’s desktop OS.
Whether you are a student, professional, or general consumer, you simply can’t ignore a Mac when shopping for a new laptop. Powerful and efficient M-series CPUs, comprehensive redesigns on the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models, and the company’s ever-expanding Mac lineup have attracted many new users to Apple’s desktop OS.
What happened to the Flipper One?
There was supposed to be a Flipper One, but it doesn't seem to exist anymore.
The Flipper Zero has been out for a few years now. It's a fantastic first-generation product that plenty of people get a lot of use out of, but to many, it's long overdue an upgrade. The company announced a Flipper One a few years ago, but that product has mysteriously disappeared off of its website, with Flipper being rather quiet about its whereabouts.