I ditched my dedicated GPU for integrated graphics and cut my power bill in half
… No additional hardware, resulting in a substantial saving compared to dedicated hardware. …
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What Intel Firefly actually means for Windows laptops (and why it's not just another processor)
… Desktop PCs have always been at the forefront of what's possible with computing hardware. Though not as efficient as a unified memory with tighter controls, you're tied to the power outlet, and it's about getting as much from the hardware as possible. …
Home Assistant's May update finally makes Alexa devices worth integrating, but there's a catch
… It’s enough to finally make hardware you already paid for actually useful to your smart home setup. …
Home Assistant just made every infrared device in your house controllable, and you probably already own them
… Integrations from Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, Harman, and other product makers aren’t there yet. Community integrations might take a while, but devices with proprietary IR protocols may take longer or never get full support. …
The best new Home Assistant feature in 2026 isn't AI, it's a 433MHz transmitter
… You're not throwing out perfectly functional hardware just because it's not smart. You're making good use of it. With a single 433 MHz transmitter proxy, you can keep your existing hardware operating for another decade. …
I tried Hue Bridge Emulator for my smart bulbs and lights — turns out, I didn’t need it
… But I didn’t want to pay for expensive, extra hardware. …
Valve's Steam Machine delay forced me to DIY, and honestly it's better this way
… The official SteamOS release is a valid option, but right now, official hardware support is pretty limited, so it might not boot on Intel-based PCs or the newest AMD hardware. …
Home Assistant on bare metal works great — until it becomes your entire home's infrastructure
… There's an OS package that runs on just about any hardware that meets the system requirements, and you'll have no trouble hooking up all your smart home devices and other integrations. …
My entire smart home runs on a single Docker container now, and I'm never going back
… This meant that no matter how many times I updated or moved the container, my automations, dashboards, and integrations remained untouched. If my server hardware ever dies, I can grab that one folder and my docker-compose file, and I’m back online on a different machine. …
Windows is still the best OS for gaming, and these 4 things prove it
… This is especially important today because the value proposition of a modern gaming peripheral rarely lives in the hardware alone. …