Eliana Willis

Ubuntu Unity offers a beautiful Linux desktop. Jack Wallen/ZDNETSometimes, learning something new can make things easier for you. Sure, you might have to take some time to get used to all this newness, but in the case of Ubuntu Unity, it’s worth the effort.I remember when Canonical first brought this user interface to the market. It was a time when the company had some seriously grand plans to bring the mobile and desktop interfaces together for a single, unified purpose and it looked to be spectacular. Out of this came Ubuntu Unity, which, on the surface, looked very much like the Ubuntu we’ve all known and enjoyed. However, the second you started using the new-fangled desktop, you realized things were different. Also: This lightweight Linux distro is the best (and easiest) way to revive your old computerUnfortunately, Canonical scrapped its plans and moved away from Unity. Since that untimely shift, a Linux distribution emerged that continues the development of Unity. Said distribution is Ubuntu Unity, and it’s fantastic. Here’s what makes it so effective. App Overview search Two of my favorite features of the Ubuntu Unity desktop were the HUD (Heads Up Display) and the App Overview, which included one of the most powerful desktop search tools ever. The HUD was essentially a global menu that shifted all app menus to the top bar. Couple that with the ability to easily search through a running app’s menu with keyboard shortcuts, and interacting with applications was a dream.Also: 3 ways to stop Android apps running in the background – and why I always doUnfortunately, the Ubuntu Unity distribution eliminated the HUD. The reason is that, for the HUD to actually work, applications would have to be developed for it, and that’s no longer happening.The good news is that the App Overview search tool is still intact.What’s so handy about this App Overview search is that it includes all sorts of filters you can apply. For instance, you can go to the files & folders, search, and apply filters like “Last 7 days,” “Last 30 days,” or “Last year.” You can also filter by type and size. If you regularly search for files, folders, apps, and more, this feature will be your best friend. More

Upgrading storage in the new M4 Mac mini is far from easy. dosdude1/YouTube Apple has made it nearly impossible for owners of most of its devices to carry out storage and RAM upgrades, opting to solder everything directly to the logic board. However, a recent teardown of the new M4-powered Mac mini revealed that the […] More

Dani/Getty Images It’s no secret that X (formerly Twitter) has been in flux since Elon Musk took over the company. The platform has undergone a series of controversial changes, alienating users with each new decision. The most recent privacy shift, which allows blocked users to view your posts (though they can’t engage with you directly), […] More

Qi Yang/Getty Images There is no denying that ChatGPT is a highly capable tool that can assist you with many different tasks. However, using the chatbot can present challenges, such as requiring extensive prompting and raising privacy concerns. Lucky for you, a few quick and easy settings can help tackle those issues.  To get the […] More

I’ve seen just about every type of Android phone on the market, from the suspiciously inexpensive to the ridiculously overpriced. Some of these handsets impressed me with their combination of price vs. performance while others left me wondering, “Why is this necessary?”And then there are the bottom-of-the-barrel devices — the ones you expect to find for sale at a drug store or truck stop. Those phones are rarely worth the time and effort it takes to open the packaging.Also: This fantastic $399 Motorola comes with a built-in stylus and a free pair of Bose earbudsEvery once in a while, however, a low-budget Android phone finds its way into my hands and changes my mind on the price point. (After all, not everyone can afford a $1,000 phone.)When the NUU Mobile rep asked if I wanted to check out the new NUU N10 More

The JBL Clip 5 speaker produces a lot of sound for such a small device. JBL/ZDNETWhat’s the deal?Ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the JBL Clip 5 More

Score a Microsoft Office license now at a big discount. StackSocial Whether you’re setting up your new laptop or using a machine you’ve had for years, access to Microsoft Office is a necessity for many of us to get things done. Right now, you can buy a lifetime license to the 2019 version of Microsoft Office Professional […] More

Get a Babbel lifetime language subscription at a big discount right now.  StackSocial Learning a new language can be daunting. But right now, you can buy a lifetime subscription to Babbel Language Learning from Stack Social that lets you choose from 14 languages and access more than 10,000 hours of online language education for $150 — […] More