Google’s $3 ChromeOS Flex kit sold out. Here are five lightweight operating system alternatives for older Windows 10 PCs.

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Microsoft is testing Cloud-Initiated Driver Recovery, a Windows Update feature designed to roll back bad drivers with less manual IT work.

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OpenAI says Mac users must update ChatGPT, Codex, and Atlas apps by June 12 after an npm supply-chain attack exposed signing certificates.

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Two unpatched Windows exploit PoCs target BitLocker protections and privilege controls after Microsoft’s May Patch Tuesday security update.

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Microsoft is retiring “Copilot Mode” in Edge as it builds AI browsing tools directly into Edge on desktop and mobile.

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Google says hackers used AI to help build a zero-day exploit targeting 2FA, raising concerns about AI-assisted hacking.

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I've reviewed the best task management software for different workflows. From sprints to Kanban to personal tasks, find the platform that fits how your team works.

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Looking for nanny payroll services? I reviewed top providers for pay runs, nanny tax filing, setup support, and household employer compliance.

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The open-source community has a long history of doing more with abandoned hardware than the original manufacturers ever did. The PSP got emulators Sony never approved. The Wii got homebrew loaders that ran software Nintendo pretended didn’t exist. The pattern repeats because the hardware is always fine; it’s the corporate support structure around it that evaporates. The Spotify Car Thing joined that lineage in December 2024 when Spotify killed server-side authentication and turned every unit into an expensive knob with a screen attached.

Nocturne picked up where Spotify dropped off. The project launched in October 2024, anticipating the shutdown, and has shipped four major versions since. V4.0.0, currently in beta with a public release imminent, finally delivers true Bluetooth connectivity without phone tethering, a companion app, and a feature set that makes the original Spotify firmware look like a rough draft.

Developer: Nocturne Team (Brandon Saldan, Dominic Frye, and contributors)

The Car Thing runs a 512MB RAM, 4GB storage Amlogic S905D2 SoC, which is a polite way of saying it has the processing power of a mid-range router from 2015. Early versions of Nocturne required a Raspberry Pi as a co-processor just to get the thing online, which was a heroic workaround but not exactly mainstream-friendly. V3 replaced that with Bluetooth tethering through your phone’s hotspot. V4 cuts the tether entirely, pairing directly via Bluetooth through the new Nocturne Companion app, which requires a Nocturne+ subscription to fund the team’s continued development.

What the photos make immediately clear is how clean the UI actually looks in practice. The now-playing screen pulls album art and renders it as a full bleed gradient background, the same visual logic Spotify used but executed with noticeably more polish in edge cases. The typography is large and glanceable. The playlist browser view is dense but organized, using album thumbnails and track titles in a layout that navigates naturally with the knob. Image 3 shows a subtle ambient lighting effect around the screen border, a rainbow glow that responds to the current track, which is the kind of detail you wouldn’t expect from a community firmware project running on 2021 budget hardware.

The gesture control, OTA updates, Spotify Connect device switcher, podcast support, local file playback, and DJ mode all carried over from V3. The V4 architecture also bakes in full offline functionality, meaning the firmware survives without Spotify’s servers being cooperative, which was precisely the failure mode that bricked every original unit in the first place.

Nocturne’s GitHub currently lists V3.0.0 as the stable release, with V4.0.0 accessible to donors via Discord while the team finishes the public build. If you’ve got a Car Thing in a drawer, the installation guide at usenocturne.com is the next tab you should open.

The post Nocturne’s Free App Turns Your Bricked Spotify Car Thing Into Something Better Than the Original first appeared on Yanko Design.

Windows 10 support has ended. These four products and alternatives can help older PCs stay useful with ChromeOS Flex, SSDs, RAM upgrades, or Linux Mint.

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Microsoft says Win32 remains central to Windows decades later, showing how compatibility still shapes Windows 11 and enterprise apps.

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This is a comprehensive list of the best encryption software and tools in 2026, covering their features, pricing and more. Use this guide to determine your best fit.

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Discover the best digital planners for 2025, including top tools like ClickUp, Todoist, and Notion to boost productivity and stay organized.

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I tested top nonprofit payroll platforms and found Gusto best overall, Paychex strongest for tax compliance, and Rippling the most flexible.

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