If you don’t know about Micro Center, let me fill you in real fast. Imagine a Best Buy for PC building nerds—and that’s welcoming to all. While these stores house rows and rows of PC components, their knowledgeable staff are equipped to help everyone, no matter how big or small the technical issue is. You can also pick up pre-built PCs assembled in-house if you prefer not to DIY, or even just get general tech gadgets. Not many locations exist—just 28 stores across the continental United States. But a 29th has been slated to open in Santa Clara, California, and those of us in the San Francisco Bay Area have been antsy about this homecoming. That wait will be soon over: This morning, my colleague Mark Hachman got the first hint of an opening date: May 2025. Our contact at Micro Center says a more specific date is currently unavailable, and also used the phrase “planning for May.” Still, this info is enough to kick my excitement into overdrive. Normally, I have a neutral attitude toward businesses. But I love Micro Center deals—their in-store-only sales are legendary. Their most epic to date is still the $130 Ryzen 7 2700X during Black Friday, just a year and a half after the CPU’s launch. Since these loss leaders are in-store only, though, you have to actually…be near one to take advantage. Want to see the inside of a Micro Center? This Gamers Nexus video gives a solid idea of what to expect. Also, it’s a feel-good watch! Our closest one in the Bay Area is a six-hour drive away. (My colleague Gordon Mah Ung used to propose organizing a party bus to take all us NorCal nerds to Tustin, California for this purpose.) Speaking of Black Friday bargains, Micro Center typically also offers bundle discounts—buying a qualifying motherboard with a CPU deal often slices another $20 to $40 off the total. Whenever I can, I try to squeeze in nods to Micro Center deals in my yearly article detailing the best cheap Black Friday PC builds possible. Anyway, I may not know exactly when in May the Santa Clara location is opening, but the two-month wait is a good thing. That gives me time to start saving for my first visit. The weather will also be much nicer then in Santa Clara—so if people behave as they normally do and camp out, it’ll be far more pleasant. Read...

More fish are being caught in the seas around Wellington., and the La Nina weather pattern could be partly responsible. Read...

Autumn is announcing its arrival with cooler temperatures and heavy rain. Read...

The Lions are concerned that even if it’s safe for the match to go ahead on Thursday night, the wild weather is likely to hit crowd numbers. Read...

However, brighter weather will return by the end of the working week. Read...

The AFL continues to monitor potentially treacherous weather conditions in Brisbane ahead of Thursday’s season opener between the Lions and Geelong at the Gabba. Read...

An Insurance Council survey found 83 percent of respondents believed there should be more control on where properties were built so they were not at risk from flooding. Read...

The best type of security camera is one that can be installed in mere minutes and requires little-to-no upkeep or attention on your part after it’s been set up. The Eufy SoloCam S220 is one such camera, and it just so happens to be on sale right now at a great price. Though originally costing $130, right now you can get the SoloCam S220 for $66.49 on Amazon with a Prime membership. (Don’t have Prime? Snag a free 30-day trial to score this price anyway. Otherwise, you can still get it on sale for $100 without Prime.) This security camera is super easy to install. All you have to do is figure out where you want to place it, then screw in the mount. The camera itself attaches to the mount with a snap… and you’re done! No wires. Just connect it to your home Wi-Fi and install the app on your phone. With its IP67 rating, it can weather most outdoor conditions. The best part, though, is that the Eufy SoloCam S220 comes with a built-in solar panel and battery. All you need is three hours of sunlight to power it for an entire day of recording. The 2K video resolution is crisp, not just during the day but also at night and in low-light conditions. Don’t miss out on this chance to get the SoloCam S220 for $66.49 on Amazon with a Prime subscription. And don’t forget to grab a free Prime trial if you aren’t a member yet. This discount is one of many perks! This wire-free solar-powered security cam is as easy as it getsBuy now at Amazon Read...

From weather stations and smart plugs to contact sensors and light switches, smart home manufacturer Eve Systems has had its fingers in a wide range of device categories, which is why we were surprised that its latest product is a first for the company.  Slated to ship next month, the Eve Dimmer Switch marks a new category for the HomeKit pioneer, which has recently been making a full-court press into Matter connectivity.  The $49.95 dimmer switch boasts a hybrid touch button/rocker design, allowing for precise and “flicker-free” control of dimmable light sources, Eve says.  The Eve Dimmer Switch can operate as either a single-pole or a three-way switch. While it does require the presence of a neutral wire in the box it’s installed in, it does not depend on a companion switch or switches being installed on the other legs of the circuit controlling the load in a three-way scenario. If you’re unfamiliar or uncomfortable dealing with home wiring, consult a licensed electrician to install it.  Once it’s in place, the Eve Dimmer Switch can work with Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and other platforms compatible with the Matter standard.  The Eve Dimmer Switch boasts a hybrid touch button/rocker design, allowing for precise and “flicker-free” control of dimmable light sources. Eve Systems The switch can control your lights via voice commands, the Eve app, or your Matter controller app of choice (the Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home apps will also work, for example), and you can also set schedules and automations for the switch.  Even better, the Eve Dimmer Switch works locally, without reliance on the cloud. That means schedules and automations are stored and run on the device itself, perfect for keeping your lights on their routines during internet outages.  Because the Eve Dimmer Switch connects via Matter over Thread, you’ll need a smart home hub on your home Wi-Fi network that acts as a Thread border router.   Luckily, there’s good chance you already have a compatible hub in your home, with devices such as the Apple TV 4K (2nd and 3rd gen), the HomePod (2nd gen) and HomePod mini, several Amazon Echo smart speaker and Eero Wi-Fi router models, the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) and Nest Hub Max, the Nest Wifi and Wifi Pro, and the Samsung SmartThings Hub v3 and Station all offering Thread border router functionality.  While Eve has long had a paddle-style light switch in its product lineup (the company released a Matter-enabled version last September), the Eve Dimmer Switch marks the first time the manufacturer has ventured into dimmer-switch territory.  Eve is also known for its Eve Energy smart plugs, the Eve Weather station, the Eve Door and Window contact sensor, and the Eve Water Guard water-leak detector, among other products.  Until recently, most of Eve’s devices only worked with Apple HomeKit, but that all changed with the arrival of Matter, the new protocol that promises to unite the big smart-home platforms.  Late last year, Eve finally made good on its promise to release a native app for Android users. Read...

Time to make the most of mainly dry and settled weather in the last few days of summer. Read...