Five Distinct Features of Linux That Are Unavailable in Windows 11

not only is Windows 11 a flawed platform, but Microsoft has poorly managed its following updates; in addition, there have been a number of unwelcome alterations — such as AI dominating critical elements of the OS — and diminished user control, including mandatory online-only usage instead of local accounts. These modifications have led many users to abandon the system, resulting in over half a million Windows users migrating to Linux.

Linux has consistently been a robust alternative, and with various distros — Linux versions or distributions — you have the freedom to select an operating system that aligns perfectly with your requirements. Notable examples include Debian, Zorin OS, Linux Mint, Ubuntu, elementaryOS, and Pop!_OS, along with some additional choices for experienced users like Fedora or Debian. The operating system and its many variations have received support for years, often decades, and they offer such extensive capabilities that Linux can outperform Windows 11 in numerous aspects. Indeed, you might be astonished to discover the capabilities of Linux that Windows simply cannot perform.

Linux updates are optional and you won’t be pestered

Costco Provides $120 Savings on Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Through March 2026

Costco is offering the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE for only $379 until the end of March 2026. According to Consumer Reports, this tablet is among the top Android options available, and right now, it’s discounted by $120. With a regular price of $499, this month’s Costco pricing is a fantastic deal for anyone considering an upgraded tablet.

Initially launched in April 2025, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE serves as the mid-range, cost-effective choice in the S10 tablet lineup. It’s packed with impressive features and near-premium specifications, including a keyboard that boasts AI capabilities and an appealing 10.9-inch display with a 90-hertz refresh rate. Priced at $379, it’s a steal, but Costco only commits to this price for online orders while stocks last. This promotion concludes on March 29, 2026, and is restricted to five units per Costco member.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE a wise choice in 2026?

Amazon Fire TV Accessory at $10 Tidies Up Untidy Cables

considering purchasing an Amazon Firestick. Most USB cables are generally quite long to facilitate charging devices. A shorter cable doesn’t make much sense if you want to power/charge a smartphone or a similar gadget. However, this creates a hassle with streaming sticks, especially since contemporary televisions often have USB ports located next to HDMI ports. This is where the fireCable Plus Adapter for Firestick comes into play.

The fireCable Plus Adapter removes dangling wires that can get bunched up, tangled, and appear unattractive. This compact cable aids in organizing your TV setup no matter where you are. It’s also ideal to take along with you, together with your streaming stick, while traveling, assisting in reducing the mess that a bag full of cables can frequently create.

Declutter your life

Although many individuals claim there is no longer a need for an Amazon Fire TV Stick anymore

Apple Launches AirPods Max 2: Revealing 9 Innovative Features and Resolving 6 Current Concerns

Apple has unveiled an update to its over-ear headphones with the AirPods Max 2, set to be available for order in late March 2026. This announcement comes after a series of recent Apple product reveals, including the iPhone 17e and the MacBook Neo. The AirPods Max 2 carries over some concerns from the original version, such as the smart case that only safeguards the earcups, while also incorporating the H2 chip for enhanced audio quality and capabilities.

The design of the AirPods Max 2 closely resembles that of the USB-C variant released in September 2024, offered in colors like midnight, starlight, orange, purple, and blue. The H2 chip improves audio quality and software functionalities that were previously found only in premium earbuds like the AirPods Pro series. “With the impressive performance of the H2, AirPods Max are enhanced with up to 1.5x more efficient ANC for the ultimate all-day listening experience,” stated Eric Treski, Apple’s director of Audio Product Marketing. The audio output is pristine, rich, and acoustically intricate, with Personalized Spatial Audio providing an engrossing experience.

**New features of the AirPods Max 2**

The AirPods Max 2 is equipped with the H2 processor, which is also utilized in the AirPods Pro 2 and 3, along with AirPods 4. This latest hardware offers up to 1.5x more effective Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) compared to the previous iteration. The improved chip also advances the Transparency mode. Adaptive Audio fine-tunes the combination of ANC and Transparency according to the surroundings. Conversation Awareness reduces the sound level when someone is speaking nearby. Live Translation features real-time translation, and Loud Sound Reduction makes the AirPods perfect for concert settings. A new high dynamic range amplifier ensures clearer audio, and diminished wireless audio latency enhances gaming experiences.

**Carryover issues with the Apple AirPods Max 2**

In spite of the new features, the AirPods Max 2 retains several shortcomings. The unchanged design implies the case still does not protect the headband. The absence of a power button mandates using the Smart Case for standby mode to save battery life. Users may still encounter condensation accumulation within the earcups. The weight remains roughly the same as the previous model, which could lead to discomfort during extended usage. The AirPods Max 2 does not come with an IP rating for water resistance and lacks U1-enabled Find My capabilities. Without an IP rating, they should not be used during exercise or in wet conditions. The absence of an ultra-wideband chip restricts Find My functionality to Bluetooth capability, excluding Apple’s Precision Finding technology, which is less suitable for pinpointing misplaced $549 headphones.

The Procedure of Recycling and the Destiny of Used Printer Cartridges

one of the most dependable inkjet printers has probably encountered disposable cartridges numerous times. It would be preferable if single-use printer cartridges ceased to exist completely, but until that happens, these easily recyclable items ought to be reused. When your cartridge is empty, you shouldn’t discard it in the garbage, not just for the evident ecological reason, but because a recycled printed cartridge can be utilized for various purposes, whether creating new cartridges or being used as materials for roads and furniture.

Printer cartridges consist of multiple elements, primarily plastic and metal, along with electronic components such as lead or cadmium. If these cartridges end up in a landfill with regular waste, they won’t decompose for a significant amount of time, and the electronic parts may leach into the soil and groundwater, posing a threat to the local ecosystem. By taking the time to deliver your cartridges to a recycling service at a store like Staples or Office Depot, or sending them back to the manufacturer, not only do we avert this unpleasant situation, but the cartridges can then be reused in both ordinary and intriguing ways.

Used cartridges can be recycled in numerous ways

The Duration of MacBook Neo’s Battery Life Unveiled

The MacBook Neo is garnering favorable reviews after its recent reveal. This budget-friendly MacBook, equipped with the same chip as the iPhone 16 Pro series, swiftly sold out during the preorder phase. Priced at $599 or $699, it represents a compelling choice for students or those who do not require the capabilities of the M5 MacBook Air or Pro. A significant consideration is battery lifespan. The MacBook Neo has the same 1,000-cycle battery threshold as the MacBook Air and Pro, indicating it should maintain over 80% battery health for 1,000 cycles before necessitating service.

Apple clarifies that a battery cycle occurs when the battery’s full capacity is utilized, not necessarily within a single charge. For instance, using 50% of the battery on one day and charging it back to full, then repeating the cycle the following day, counts as one cycle. This implies that a cycle could extend over multiple days, given the Neo’s all-day battery performance.

The MacBook Neo, slightly more compact than the MacBook Air, features a 13-inch screen and a 36.5-watt-hour battery, as opposed to the Air’s 13.3-inch display and 53.8-watt-hour battery. Therefore, the Neo provides 11 hours of wireless browsing and 16 hours of video playback, which is marginally less than the Air. In evaluations, the Neo managed 13 hours and 28 minutes of uninterrupted web browsing, compared to the Air’s 15 hours and 37 minutes, and the Pro’s 18 hours and 14 minutes.

If charged bi-weekly, the Neo would approximately require 10 years to hit 1,000 cycles. Charging five times a week would take nearly four years, while daily charging would reach the threshold in under three years. The Neo’s battery will diminish more quickly than the Air and Pro under comparable conditions, but it is expected to last three to four years before deterioration, making it a wise investment for students. With educational discounts, the Neo is priced at $499 for the 256 GB model, equating to $125 annually over four years.

Google Pixel’s Updated Battery Function Operates as Intended

a troubling 911 issue and a bug preventing alarms from operating. Several of the detected issues are proactively addressed by the company; however, others, such as the speakerphone problem on Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 devices, remain unresolved due to insufficient information available to the company.

Interestingly, other unusual behaviors reported by Pixel users often turn out not to be glitches. Reports regarding one such “non-issue” associated with the battery recently emerged in online Pixel communities and forums, according to PiunikaWeb.

Though many of the discussions about this “battery issue” online are quite new, a statement from a Google employee on the Android issue tracker suggests that the company was already aware of the “issue,” labeling it as a non-problem and “intended” functionality. Here’s everything you need to understand about this “issue,” and what to anticipate with your Pixel smartphone.

What exactly is this Pixel battery issue?

Samsung Galaxy S26 Unveils Groundbreaking Cooling Technology to Compete with iPhone 17 Pro

With the launch of the Galaxy S26 series, Samsung revealed significant enhancements to the vapor chamber across all three of its latest models. These refinements enhance performance while directly countering Apple’s inaugural smartphone featuring a vapor chamber, the iPhone 17 Pro. Although determining which company possesses the superior vapor chamber cooling system is challenging due to both employing the same physical principles, their thermal architectures vary to optimize each device’s efficiency.

In comparison to the Galaxy S25 series, Samsung claims that the vapor chambers in the Galaxy S26 and S26+ models are approximately 29% more effective at heat dissipation. Furthermore, the vapor chamber in the Galaxy S26 Ultra is reported to be 21% more efficient than that of its 2025 variant. While teardown videos suggest that the vapor chambers themselves seem larger, size is not the sole distinction. Some enhancements in heat dissipation can be credited to the specialized thermal interface material (TIM) now located along the processor’s edges — akin to the thermal paste one might apply between a CPU and its heat sink in a computer.

With these advancements, Samsung asserts that its new models excel in typical use cases such as video recording, gaming, or multitasking. At the core of this upgrade is the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, which delivers 19% improved CPU performance, a 24% increase in GPU performance, and a 39% boost in NPU capabilities for Galaxy AI features. Users should notice these enhancements due to the updated thermal design — meaning that the cooling system is designed to sustain performance during intensive tasks and prevent rapid battery depletion.

Samsung emphasizes that the Galaxy S26 series is tailored for high-demand usage.

Samsung promotes the Galaxy S26 Ultra as an ideal device for “high-demand sessions,” while also mentioning that the Galaxy S26 and S26+ are “optimized for extended gaming.” Thanks to the upgraded cooling system, users should enjoy smooth gameplay for hours on titles such as Fortnite or Genshin Impact, and can effectively utilize Galaxy AI for routine tasks like Live Translate, Circle to Search, Generative Edit for photos, or Note assist.

The company also asserts that Vulkan-optimized games can render light and shadows more effectively, and ray tracing enhances the gaming experience with support from the vapor chamber and the custom Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy. Benchmark scores support this in many situations, often placing the Galaxy S26 Ultra ahead of the iPhone 17 Pro Max. While real-world usage might yield varied outcomes based on user actions, it is evident that Samsung concentrated on providing sustainable performance in this generation. Notably, the Korean manufacturer also provides customizable RAM options, as the 1 TB models can feature up to 16 GB of memory instead of the standard 12 GB, influencing performance as well.

Apple introduces vapor chamber technology to the iPhone.

While Samsung refined the vapor chamber experience familiar to Galaxy users, Apple finally advanced its cooling system with the iPhone. After two iterations of iPhone models utilizing titanium frames, which were less effective at heat management, Apple opted to return to aluminum while incorporating a custom-engineered vapor chamber for its Pro series. The company states that it encases deionized water within the vapor chamber, which, combined with the aluminum base, aids in directing heat away from the A19 Pro chip. Similar to Samsung’s approach, Apple aims to keep the chip operating cool by dissipating heat throughout the device.

Mirroring the Galaxy S26 series, Apple achieved remarkable improvements in its latest chip thanks to the vapor chamber. The company claims that this internal redesign provides up to 40% enhanced sustained performance, and it also highlights advantages in gaming, video editing, and improved AI functionalities — all complemented by a larger battery that extends the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s lifespan compared to all prior models. In summary, whether customers select the Galaxy S26 Ultra or the iPhone 17 Pro Max, they can anticipate some of the finest sustained performance presently available on the market.

US Air Force Bans Utilization of Specific Well-Known Smart Technology Devices

Meta eyewear has gained significant traction, allowing users to snap pictures without the hassle of searching for their phone or camera. However, while AI-enhanced, cloud-connected glasses may be impressive, they can also introduce security vulnerabilities. It’s understandable that the Air Force is making efforts to revise their uniform regulations to align with the newest smart wearable advancements.

The policy update wasn’t limited to just smart glasses. The guidelines regarding standard eyewear also received a minor revision, narrowing down the approved frame colors and lens types. Additionally, the revised policy imposed limitations on Bluetooth capabilities, headsets, or hands-free devices, except for those authorized to utilize Bluetooth headsets and similar technology for official purposes.

Have other services been affected?