Sexual relationships with AI chatbots have become all too common — but for some real-life partners, it still feels like cheating when it's happening behind their back.That's the takeaway from a recent HuffPost column in which Marisa Cohen, a licensed marriage and family therapist, affirmed that having intimate encounters with anyone — or anything — without your partner's consent is damaging to the relationship, point-blank.The piece was responding to a post on Reddit, which — though they're often anonymous and an exercise in creative fiction writing — served as an interesting jumping-off point to explore the ethics of the topic.In the post, which has since been deleted but copied in part by HuffPost, a woman described her sense of betrayal when she walked in on her husband of 14 years having phone sex with a talking chatbot that was "very tailored to his desires.""It felt like a knife went through me," the OP wrote, "and I couldn’t stop shaking."An interesting wrinkle: the woman and her husband had agreed prior to tying the knot that "emotional cheating" was kosher as long as it wasn't physical. Still, the woman said she was "stung"  that her hubby was having such sexual conversations with the chatbot "almost every night" — and even more so when he added that he talked to it for hours about non-sexual subjects too.Were he having those conversations with a human woman, that would technically be within the bounds of their relationship's rules. But for whatever reason, it seemed to bother the OP worse that her spouse was having his affair with a chatbot."I know he’s gonna say it’s not a big deal no matter what," she wrote, "and I think this is what will upset me the most."Does the woman have a right to be upset? It depends on the nitty-gritty of her interpretation of her agreement with her husband, which is why ongoing communication is a staple of successful open relationships.That's important, because as Cohen points out, the situation represents a gray area. Is phone sex with an AI crossing the line into the "physical intimacy" with outside partners that they left off the table? It's a head-scratcher, and different reasonable people may well come to different conclusions."What one partner views as engaging with AI in a completely acceptable way, another may view as cheating," the therapist told HuffPost. "This is something that must be discussed, so that both partners are aware of how the other feels.""People that are involved in emotional cheating are sharing experiences with another (in this case AI) at the expense of sharing these moments, memories, or insights with their partners," Cohen said. "This can create a distance between partners."It's also worth noting that when they first married, there was no way the woman could have expected the "emotional cheating" clause in her relationship — one that sounds pretty suspicious, or at least like a slippery slope — to include an AI chatbot, because such technology was neither widespread nor sophisticated at the time. And even if she had, those boundaries can change — as the OP noted, she'd also been upset when finding out her husband had been whacking it to porn earlier in their marriage."It is important that both partners want to work on their relationship and that the emotional affair is acknowledged and ended," Cohen told HuffPost. "This becomes more complicated in this case, as the partners may have different beliefs as to whether cheating has occurred."More on chatbot relationships: Women With Body Image Issues Are Asking ChatGPT Something TerribleShare This Article

Artificial intelligence has no shortage of visionaries—but the ones who matter are executing. In 4 days, TechCrunch Sessions: AI brings those builders, researchers, funders, and enthusiasts under one roof at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall. This isn’t a parade of AI hype or a string of over-edited keynotes. It’s a single day designed for clarity, candor, and real connection. It’s also your last chance to save. Ticket prices rise soon — but right now, you can save over $300 on your pass and get 50% off a second, so your partner, co-founder, or friend can dive in with you. Your next AI insight could come from anywhere Maybe it’s a fireside chat with Jared Kaplan of Anthropic on frontier models. Maybe it’s a breakout session on enterprise deployment with leaders from SAP. Or maybe it’s a deep-dive conversation sparked through the Braindate app — our smarter tool for face-to-face matching based on shared interests. You never know where the game-changing idea will come from. You just need to be in the room. Think you’ve got a winning pitch? Watch what VCs see So You Think You Can Pitch puts AI startups in front of investors for live, unscripted feedback. It’s fast-paced, transparent, and sharp—exactly what early founders need to understand how real funding decisions happen. Image Credits:Halo Creative Only 4 days left: Big ideas, real impact — and rising prices We’ve kept the pricing generous, but the clock is ticking. Save over $300 on your TC Sessions: AI pass and get a second one at 50% off. Group discounts apply too. On June 5, prices go full fare—and with them, your shot at big savings disappears. Lock in your low rate tickets here. Interested in a deeper discount? Participate in our AI trivia for a chance to purchase a ticket at $200 and receive a second ticket for free. Techcrunch event Save now through June 4 for TechCrunch Sessions: AI Save $300 on your ticket to TC Sessions: AI—and get 50% off a second. Hear from leaders at OpenAI, Anthropic, Khosla Ventures, and more during a full day of expert insights, hands-on workshops, and high-impact networking. These low-rate deals disappear when the doors open on June 5. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 REGISTER NOW

In a chilling sign of how far law enforcement surveillance has encroached on personal liberties, that a sheriff’s office in Texas searched data from more than 83,000 automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras to track down a woman suspected of self-managing an abortion. The officer searched 6,809 different camera networks maintained by surveillance tech company Flock Safety, including states where abortion access is protected by law, such as Washington and Illinois. The search record listed the reason plainly: “had an abortion, search for female.” Screenshot of data After the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturned Roe v. Wade, states were given sweeping authority to ban and even criminalize abortion. In Texas—where the officer who conducted this search is based—abortion is now almost entirely banned. But in Washington and Illinois, where many of the searched Flock cameras are located, abortion remains legal and protected as a fundamental right up to fetal viability. The post-Dobbs legal landscape has also opened the door for law enforcement to exploit virtually any form of data—license plates, phone records, geolocation data—to pursue individuals across state lines. has documented more than 1,800 agencies have deployed ALPRs, but at least 4,000 agencies are able to run searches through some agencies in Flock's network. Many agencies share the data freely with other agencies across the country, with little oversight, restriction, or even standards for accessing data.  While this particular data point explicitly mentioned an abortion, scores of others in the audit logs released through public records requests simply list "investigation" as the reason for the plate search, with no indication of the alleged offense. That means other searches targeting someone for abortion, or another protected right in that jurisdiction, could be effectively invisible. This case underscores our growing concern: that the mass surveillance infrastructure—originally sold as a tool to find stolen cars or missing persons—is now being used to target people seeking reproductive healthcare. This unchecked, warrant-less access that allows law enforcement to surveil across state lines blurs the line between “protection” and persecution. From Missing Cars to Monitoring Bodies EFF has long warned about the dangers of ALPRs, which scan license plates, log time and location data, and build a detailed picture of people's movements. Companies like Flock Safety and Motorola Solutions offer law enforcement agencies access to nationwide databases of these readers, and in some cases, allow them to stake out locations like abortion clinics, or create “hot lists” of license plates to track in real time. Flock's technology also allows officers to search for a vehicle based on attributes like color, make and model, even without a plate number. The threat is compounded by how investigations often begin. A report published by If/When/How on the criminalization of self-managed abortion found that about a quarter of adult cases (26%) were reported to law enforcement by acquaintances entrusted with information, such as “friends, parents, or intimate partners” and another 18% through “other” means. This means that with ALPR tech, a tip from anyone can instantly escalate into a nationwide manhunt. And as Kate Bertash of the Digital Defense Fund explained to 404 Media, anti-abortion activists have long been documenting the plates of patients and providers who visit reproductive health facilities—data that can now be easily cross-referenced with ALPR databases. The 404 Media report proves that this isn’t a hypothetical concern. In 2023, a months-long EFF investigation involving hundreds of public records requests uncovered that many California police departments were sharing records containing detailed driving profiles of local residents with out-of-state agencies, despite state laws explicitly prohibiting this. This means that even in so-called “safe” states, your data might end up helping law enforcement in Texas or Idaho prosecute you—or your doctor.  That’s why we demanded that 75 California police departments stop sharing ALPR data with anti-abortion states, an effort that has largely been successful. Surveillance and Reproductive Freedom Cannot Coexist We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Lawmakers who support reproductive rights must recognize that abortion access and mass surveillance are incompatible.  The systems built to track stolen cars and issue parking tickets have become tools to enforce the most personal and politically charged laws in the country. What began as a local concern over privacy has escalated into a national civil liberties crisis. Yesterday’s license plate readers have morphed into today’s reproductive dragnet. Now, it’s time for decisive action. Our leaders must roll back the dangerous surveillance systems they've enabled. We must enact strong, enforceable state laws to limit data sharing, ensure proper oversight, and dismantle these surveillance pipelines before they become the new normal–or even just eliminate the systems altogether.

Are you ready to head back to 1987 and one last trip to the Upside Down?

The developers of SnowRunner have combined its vehicular physics simulator gameplay with design elements from the building simulator genre, to bring us Roadcraft, a unique game that requires you to use an array of vehicles and construction machinery to do everything from clearing debris to rebuilding roads and laying cable. Road construction is a primary aspect of gameplay, and involves multiple steps: resource collection, logistical transport, route planning, and actual road building. While there is a very in-depth tutorial in-game that holds your hand every step of the way, there are a lot of nuances to road construction that you may not be aware of, and this RoadCraft guide has everything you need to know about those game mechanics. Scout Vehicle Selection The Scout is a critical vehicle for its scanning and winching capabilities, and while there are 7 to choose from, only 2 are available initially. Between these first two Scouts, the Armiger Thunder IV should be your preferred choice, due to its higher mobility and shorter wheelbase. Your eventual Scout vehicle should be the Tuz 119 “Lynx” which becomes available in the Deluge campaign for a price of nearly 25,000. The winch capability will come in handy as you clear debris to establish routes, and scan for terrain and objects. Field Recovery Vehicles These vehicles serve the purpose of behaving as spawn points for your other utility vehicles. This will be tremendously helpful in situations where you will require multiple pieces of equipment at a given location. Simply drive one of these to the work site such as a road construction objective, and you can simply spawn all task-related vehicles there, at the cost of Recovery Tokens. The free KHAN Lo “Strannik” Field Service Vehicle will more than suffice for this purpose, while also being equipped with a winch for manual towing. Equipment Transporters In the absence of fuel tokens, vehicle haulers can also be used to accomplish the task of manually delivering multiple vehicles to a work site. The Zikz 605E Heavy Equipment Transporter will be your preferred choice at a cost of 25,000, and will serve you well throughout the campaign. However, the Step 39331 “Pike” Light Equipment Transporter can function just as well, since it can use both its flatbed and its winch to haul two vehicles at a time, with maximum tonnage capability being the true limitation. Crane Trucks A great deal of what you will be doing in the game will involve picking stuff up off of the ground with a crane and placing it onto a flatbed for transportation. While you will be provided with two separate vehicles to accomplish this, it will be quite a tedious process especially for solo players. This is where the Mule T1 Cargo Crane Truck comes in immediately useful, at a price of 27,000. It will save you a great deal of time and effort over multiple instances in the campaign. Eventually, you will purchase better Craned vehicles, but the older ones will never use utility, as you can leave them in place at your various facilities to act as on-site loaders. In a pinch, Crane Trucks can serve as a winch vehicle for any situation that may arise. Road Construction Your AI convoys are going to get hung up on every little obstacle along their dirt path routes, and this is where good road building comes into play. Locate a quarry source for sand, and begin filling in the route with your loaded Dump Truck. Next, use your Dozer set to sand leveling or better yet, your Roller, to perform multiple passes in order to flatten the sand, with two passes being an absolute minimum. Be sure to proceed as slowly and carefully as you can on the second and further passes, listening carefully for audio feedback while traversing the route, which will sound different when traveling over fully flattened ground compared to slightly uneven terrain. A recommended method is to go down the center twice, once in each direction, in order to perfect the two ends. Then travel once along each side to spread the sand evenly, followed by a single final pass down the center again. Asphalt Paving Strictly speaking, asphalt paving is unnecessary in the vast majority of situations, unless required by mission objectives. However, if you do elect to pave all your roads, there are some important steps to take. The sand must be perfectly flattened, else the paving machines will frequently snag on unseen obstacles. One way to mitigate this, is to use the Paver while traveling in reverse. While this may seem odd, since the asphalt is deposited from the front and flattened by the rear, the game still allows it. An even better option is to hoist the Paver with a mobile Crane and float it low over the planned route, and then drive the Crane along the path instead, which is significantly faster and avoids physics bugs. Deploy the Roller next, and use the same leveling process as you do with sand: down the center once in each direction, then each side once, and one last time down the center again. Leveling Uneven Roads Failure to properly level the sand before laying down asphalt can lead to significantly large bumps in your roads. You can still recover from a situation like this without having to resort to using your Dozer’s Asphalt Destruction grader mode. Take your Roller out instead and perform multiple passes over the bump with it, and it will flatten out eventually. Plotting Routes For AI Convoys While creating routes for your transport vehicles to follow, be sure to set them along one side of the road rather than down the center. This will mitigate head-on collisions between AI traffic traveling in opposite directions, as their pathing can be quite poor. Also avoid placing an excessive number of waypoints wherever possible as this is interpreted as a direction change. While the vehicles will not get turned completely around, they can bug out and end up in an environmental hazard. Be sure to delete the routes once you have completed the related objectives and collected all of the rewards, in order to maintain a clean infrastructure map. That is everything you need to know about constructing proper roads in RoadCraft.

Elden Ring Nightreign is a markedly different gameplay experience from the mainline title, with a focus on co-operative multiplayer in a rogue-lite experience. In the final showdown of each run, nothing matters as much as your level, and maximizing your time and effort to achieve that fast will be your primary focus. This Elden Ring Nightreign guide has everything you can possibly do to level up to the maximum cap of 15 quickly and efficiently. Relics There are a number of Relic effects that you can acquire to both directly and indirectly earn runes for both you and your allies. Since the Relics are RNG-based and gained at the end of runs, whether successful or unsuccessful, it may be a while before you have the right combination in your Chalice. There are also Nightfarer-specific, quest-based Relics such as Revenant’s Small Makeup Brush that increases rune acquisition for self and allies, and Ironeye’s Cracked Sealing Wax which earns runes for critical hits. Your earned Murk will come in handy in order to potentially buy the Relics you want from the Small Jar Bazaar in Roundtable Hold. There is even a Relic to lower your expenditures at merchants: Night of the Demon, which offers up a huge rune discount for shop purchases while on expedition. You will also want to upgrade your Chalices there, to use more runes in a variety of color combinations. Talismans Certain Talismans such as the Gold Scarab which grants an increase in runes from defeated enemies by 15%, will come in handy, and can potentially be stacked in the two slots available to Nightfarers. Talismans are boss drops, as well as obtainable from Teardrop Scarabs, so farm those whenever you encounter them. Consumables Certain consumable items such as the Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot can boost rune acquisition for a time. Because their drops are not guaranteed and can be few and far between, it is recommended that you save these for use right before a major combat encounter where you expect to gain a large amount of runes, in order to best take advantage of their small window of effect. Stonesword Key While this item does not grant runes in and of itself, it does put you in the path of receiving massive windfalls of them. There are certain Relic effects that provide you a free Stonesword Key at the beginning of your run, but also drop from the chest secreted behind the altar, near the boss of the Great Church location. Either way, the key can then be used to access the locked Evergaols with their Field Boss challenge. Felling these great enemies grants a choice between multiple selectable Dormant Powers, including an immediate rune lumpsum in multiples of 10K, and another two that grant a persistent increase in number of runes obtained by 10%. Another potential location for a chest with a Stonesword Key is atop the tower of a Fort. An additional bonus to clearing the Fort is being able to view the locations of nearby Field Bosses and Scarabs, by interacting with the maps on the desk within the tower, which will inform you that you have ‘Acquired a local clue’. Merchants are also a potential source for Stonesword Keys. Scale-Bearing Merchant This NPC encounter at the arena of Libra, Creature of Night in Limveld has multiple options to choose from when interacting with him, including ‘Take runes’, which is a combination of buff and debuff that grants a rune bonus from defeating enemies, while constantly draining your health. Fortunately, you can choose to get rid of the phantom chest it places on your head, through your inventory, if you find that the health debuff is untenable on your run. Unfortunately, the choices themselves appear to be RNG and you may not necessarily even see the rune boost option on your run. Maximize Your Time At a certain point in your run, you may want to simply breeze right past low-level cannon fodder, and head straight for the major opponent in any given area. This is especially true once you achieve higher levels, as you really want to optimize for the limited time you have left before your final battle. Slay the mini boss, gather your loot and Dormant Power, and venture forward. Spectral trees allow you to use Spectral Hawks to fast travel to locations where you might farm for runes, or collect rewards. Shifting Earth These unique world-changing events completely modify the open world of Limveld, which in turn open up opportunities for lots of rune acquisition. Take the map variations when offered them, and your run will significantly benefit from both the primary reward, and the secret buff from defeating the mini-boss. Additional variants appear to unlock as you attempt new runs. Losing Runes on Death Daytime battles run the risk of losing runes and entire levels, and while the former can be recovered from the site, they can sometimes also be picked up by enemies before you can get to them. Fortunately, you can always track down the rune-thief visually, by identifying their glowing, golden aura. Simply slay them to recover your runes and levels. Dying before recovering dropped runes loses them permanently, and will oblige you to waste time farming more. Those are some of the best ways to boost your rune acquisition and level up quickly in Elden Ring Nightreign.

Here’s a fun one for Mac nostalgia fans: a new project by hobbyist Nick Gillard has taken the idea of mini retro builds to a whole micro level. Called the pico-mac-nano, this is a working replica of the original Macintosh that stands just 62 millimeters tall (that’s 2.4 inches for you, Casey Liss). And what’s more, you can actually run MacPaint and MacWrite on it. How awesome is that? The project (via BoingBoing) builds on an earlier open-source emulator by Matt Evans, who had already managed to get a Raspberry Pi Pico running System 1. Gillard took that idea and ran with it, packing it into a shockingly faithful 3D-printed case, complete with a tiny rainbow Apple logo and even a scale replica of the original Picasso-style shipping box. “I just couldn’t resist creating a matching, tiny version of the iconic ‘Picasso’ box that the original 128K Macintosh shipped in. After finally finding a manufacturer (in India!) and having the first batch back, I’m super-happy with the result; a white, full colour printed, corrugated cardboard box.” The guts of the machine are made of a Pi Pico microcontroller, a 2-inch 480×640 TFT screen configured to match the original Mac’s 512×342 resolution, and a speaker capable of those signature startup chimes. Everything runs off a custom firmware that emulates a 68000 CPU, all open-sourced and shared on GitHub. The result is a perfect desktop curiosity you can gift yourself on a special occasion or, if you’re one of these DIY creatures, build on your own. Gillard says he’ll be selling a few pre-assembled kits soon, but if you’re the DIY type, you can also grab the STL files, firmware, and a full parts list for your next weekend project over at 1BitRainbow.com. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Build A Rocket Boy’s Leslie Benzies has spoken about MindsEye and how the studio plans to offer a value-for-money experience without any filler. However, it’s only the first step in a longer game, which includes a “big overarching ten-year plan.” While speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Benzies reiterated that the title would continue receiving new content. “Some of the content, like races, are made just for fun. But [with] most of the content, we’ll try and incorporate it into the story. So once you’ve played the big overarching ten-year plan, you’ll have a very good idea of what this universe looks like.” There are plans for multiplayer and a fully open world, but it’s also looking at “what players are creating and incorporating that into our plans. Given the ease of the tools, we think there will be a high percentage of players who will jump in and give it a try, see how it feels, and then decide. Hopefully, some will create compelling content we can then promote and make that part of our plans to push to other players.” Interestingly, the story of MindsEye is “bang in the middle” of the greater narrative that Build A Rocket Boy wants to tell. “So, we’re going to go back 10,000 years, then we’re going to go forward a certain amount of time. It’s the relevant piece of the puzzle that will have players asking questions of what the bigger story is,” said Benzies. This is the reason why the studio hasn’t showcased footage for “huge parts” of the experience. The studio wants to avoid spoilers, but he does tease that the story takes some “unusual twists.” As for multiplayer, Benzies said, “The dream from the building side is to allow players the opportunity to create their own multiplayer open-world games with ease. Anyone could pick up the game, jump in, drive around, stop at a point where they saw something of interest, build a little mission, jump back in the car, drive again, and build another mission. Once you’ve built a couple of hundred of these, you’ve built your own open-world game. So, that’s the build side.” However, Build A Rocket Boy also wants to develop “a place where people can socialise, play together, and engage in the stories that we build.” As such, an open-world multiplayer title is planned for next year, unfolding one year after the events of MindsEye. You can also expect an open-world free-roam title to bridge the gap between the two releases. “All of these stories interconnect in a fairly unique and original way, which I think players like these days. They like the complexity of deeper stories.” MindsEye launches on June 10th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out the overview trailer and post-launch roadmap.

After the celebration ends, college graduates typically face numerous transitions, from moving to a new city and/or starting a new job to taking on student loan payments and other financial responsibilities. College students are often targeted for job scams, but the Better Business Bureau is alerting recent grads about schemes being employed specifically to steal their personal information and money during this transition period. Unpaid tuition scamImagine getting a call after graduation that you have an outstanding tuition payment, and unless you pay the bill immediately, your diploma will be rescinded. Scammers are using this threat to con recent grads—who have, in fact, paid their full tuition—into sending money via wire transfer or prepaid debit card, which cannot be tracked or recovered. Another version of this scam attempts to convince college students (and/or their parents) that they owe tuition and need to pay immediately to ensure they remain enrolled. If you receive an email, text, or call about an unpaid bill, do not engage—instead, contact your school's bursar or financial services office directly. You will typically receive communication from higher education institutions by mail or via a secure student portal—not as an urgent message demanding money.Student loan scamsStudent loans have been targets for scammers for years—made easier by the starting and stopping of loan forgiveness programs—and recent college grads who are getting ready to make their first payments are common victims. You may get an unsolicited call, text, or email from a company offering debt relief or debt forgiveness services for a fee. In some cases, the company is legit but making false claims, and in others, the whole thing is a scam. They may ask for upfront payment, usually via gift card or wire transfer, and never deliver, or gather a bunch of personal information that can be used to steal your identity. While the status of loan forgiveness can be difficult to follow, you should know the details of your loan, including when payments are due to begin, and look for official sources regarding loan forgiveness options. Job scamsEmployment scams range from fake job listings to unsolicited texts from "recruiters" offering a position while demanding personal information and payment for "training." Recent grads may be promised an entry-level remote role at a completely unrealistic salary, and scammers collect everything from your Social Security number to your bank account information in exchange for the offer. Other schemes have you pay upfront for training or equipment you never receive (because the job isn't real) or pay you too much with a fake check and ask for reimbursement via app or wire transfer. No one is getting too-good-to-be-true jobs in this market. Always do your due diligence on companies before applying for a position or accepting an offer: Review the official website for contact information and job postings, and consider reaching out to HR or employees you locate independently to confirm that a position is legit. Don't ever pay for anything up front. Moving scamsThe moving industry seems to be rife with scams, and recent grads who need to move across town or out of state are not immune. Moving companies may charge more money than was quoted and, in the worst cases, hold your stuff hostage unless you pay. Or they may simply not show after you've paid a deposit for the move. Red flags for moving companies include estimates delivered quickly and with little information collected about your move, full payments demanded before the move, and non-refundable deposits paid via peer-to-peer apps and bank transfers (negating the protection of credit cards). Thoroughly research the company to understand how moving brokers operate, and make sure you get everything in writing.Rental scamsIf you make it through the actual move unscathed, you could still encounter a rental scam. As with job scams, these involve listings that sound too good to be true, with lots of amenities in a desired location at an affordable price. (Like job scams, most renters aren't getting these deals in this market.) Fraudsters may even use real properties in their listings to lure you in. Once they have you, they collect a deposit, first month's rent, and a bunch of personal information while leaving you with nowhere to live. While you may pay your actual rent via Zelle, PayPal, or Venmo, you shouldn't use these services to send a deposit for a rental you haven't seen to a landlord you haven't met. Search the listing on Zillow, Redfin, and other rental sites to look for inconsistencies that could indicate a scam. Verify the address, look at Google street view, and visit (or send someone you trust in your place) before paying any money if you can.

If you've got a Samsung phone, you've got an alternative, lightweight option for computing on the go: Galaxy handsets come with a desktop interface called DeX built right in, and depending on what you need to do, you might be able to use this mode in place of a laptop while on your travels.Essentially, you plug your Samsung phone into a TV or monitor, and Android shifts to look more like Windows or macOS. You're still using the same software and the same apps, but you get floating windows and easier multitasking.While a lot of the apps will stick to their mobile views, you can make use of apps such as Google Docs or Google Chrome to get work done while you're away from home (or just in a different room). And of course you've got access to all your movie and music streaming apps too, on a bigger screen.How to set up Samsung DeXYou've got a few different connection options when it comes to Samsung DeX. It actually works wirelessly if you have a TV or monitor with Miracast technology built into it—or a streaming box or dongle with Miracast support. That includes most Samsung TVs made in the last few years, for example, so if you're heavily invested in the Samsung ecosystem then you're already a step ahead.To launch Samsung DeX wirelessly, open Settings on your Galaxy phone, then choose Connected devices > Samsung DeX. Alternatively open the Quick Settings panel (swipe down from the top right of the screen), then tap the DeX button—if you can't see it, swipe down on the panel of tiles to see the full selection. Your phone will scan your wifi network for compatible hardware, and you can tap on a device to connect. DeX in Quick Settings. Credit: Lifehacker If you can configure Samsung DeX with a wired connection, it's usually easier and more reliable. The cable you're going to need will depend on the external monitor or television you're connecting to: You might need a USB-C to USB-C cable, for example, or a USB-C to HDMI cable. Most cables should work with the right connectors, but I'd advise searching for ones that specifically mention DeX in the listing.You can use USB-C hubs and docking stations too, which is handy if you want to plug a mouse and keyboard in as well. Again, most models should work, but they won't necessarily all work—a bit of internet research should guide you towards products people are already using with DeX. This $12 Ugreen hub is the one I've been using for Samsung DeX, so you can see you don't necessarily need to spend a lot of money here. DeX can be set to launch automatically. Credit: Lifehacker You don't have to use a keyboard and mouse with DeX, because you can use your phone's keyboard, and turn it into a makeshift trackpad (you can even use an S Pen to control DeX). However, if you need to get some serious work done, from essay writing to emailing, then you'll probably want to hook up a mouse and keyboard. That's what I've done: The Galaxy phone, HDMI cable, and keyboard and mouse all plug into the hub.Launching DeX in a wired configuration is the same as launching it in a wireless configuration, though if you're using cables and hubs then as soon as you connect an external monitor to your Galaxy device, you should see a prompt to connect. Future connections can be launched automatically (to manage this open Settings on your phone, then choose Connected devices > Samsung DeX).How to use Samsung DeXWith DeX launched, you should see the desktop interface up on the external screen. It's a bit like having a second monitor for your phone, because you can carry on using apps on your Galaxy device the same as you normally would. You'll find a few app shortcuts already on the DeX desktop, which you can double-click to launch, and a taskbar showing open apps along the bottom.In the lower left corner, you've got the standard Android buttons: the recent apps button, the home button, and the back button. To the left of those is a search button and an all apps button, which brings up shortcuts to every app installed on your phone. Over on the right of the taskbar, you've got an array of buttons, including ones for checking notifications, taking screenshots, and checking battery and signal level. The app drawer view in DeX. Credit: Lifehacker To customize DeX further, double-click the Settings shortcut on the desktop, then pick Samsung DeX. You've got a host of options here, covering font size, wallpaper, the shortcuts available on the taskbar, how the keyboard and mouse work, and whether to play audio through your phone or through the speakers attached to the bigger screen.Operating DeX is fairly straightforward. Apps appear in Windows, with shortcut buttons in the top right corner. They will (from left to right) pin an app window (keep it on top of other apps), minimize an app window, put an app window full screen, or close the app. You're able to resize windows using their edges and move them about using their title bars much as you would on Windows or macOS. DeX means you can get work done on the go. Credit: Lifehacker There are a bunch of keyboard shortcuts you can make use of too, which make it a little easier to get around the interface: Ctrl+Enter (Windows keyboard) or Cmd+Enter (Mac keyboard) will take you to the home screen desktop. To see all of the shortcuts you can use, press Ctrl+/ (Windows) or Cmd+/ (Mac).It all works slickly and quickly, and while Samsung DeX isn't something I use a lot, it occasionally comes in handy—especially in moving between home and the office when I only need to carry a Galaxy phone in my pocket. It's actually such a good idea that Google is expected to include its own version of DeX in Android 16.