Brian Fagioli

Wi-Fi 6E is the latest and greatest wireless networking standard. It is most notable for using the 6GHz band, making it superior to "regular" Wi-Fi 6. To take advantage of this new standard, you will obviously need a Wi-Fi 6E router. However, that is just part of the equation. If you do not have devices with Wi-Fi 6E as well, it is kind of pointless.

Thankfully, many new computers are coming with Wi-Fi 6E, but what if you are not ready for a new PC? Well, in that case, you can crack open your desktop or laptop and install a card -- if you have an available slot, that is. Of course, not everyone is comfortable opening up their computer -- it can be a scary affair.

Continue reading →

With so many USB-C multiport adapters on the market these days, I'll be honest, it can be hard to get excited about new models. I mean, look, the dongles all pretty much work the same way, right? The adapter turns a single USB-C port into several useful ports.

Today, however, Satechi has a new such product that got my attention. Called "USB-4 Multiport Adapter with 2.5G Ethernet," the exciting aspect is in the name -- you get multi-gig Ethernet. Sure, plenty of similar adapters provide gigabit Ethernet, but the 2.5G offering here is rather special.

Continue reading →

If you build your own desktop computers, you know that the component brands you choose can really matter. For instance, if you opt for an unknown company for your RAM, power supply, or storage, there is a very good chance you will run into problems. This is why I always recommend sticking with reputable brands -- saving a few bucks is never worth the hassle of troubleshooting crashes.

Kingston is a company that has been around for a long time, and its products are typically very reliable -- I trust its products for sure. Today, that company announces its latest DDR4 RAM, and the memory modules are very beautiful. Called "FURY Beast Special Edition RGB," this limited edition RAM features white heat spreaders and RGB lighting.

Continue reading →

System76's Thelio desktop computers have been notable for three things -- being assembled in the USA, running Linux-based operating systems, and having a largely wooden chassis. Moving forward, the PC will still be assembled in America and ship with a Linux distribution (Ubuntu or Pop!_OS), but it won't necessarily contain any wood.

You see, the computer manufacturer has decided to redesign the chassis to be mostly aluminum, save for a thin accent strip. Actually, while the strip can be made of wood, not all of them are. In other words, it is not a given that a Thelio desktop will contain any wood -- only if you specifically choose a wooden access strip. Some of the strips are instead made of powder-coated aluminum. And yes, you can replace the strip by easily pinching and sliding it off.

Continue reading →

Many people are working from home nowadays, using work-issued laptops. The problem, of course, is that these workers often own personal notebooks too. And so, if they regularly connect their computers to a mouse, keyboard, and monitor, it can be quite cumbersome to constantly plug and unplug cables when switching between two machines.

A KVM switch is a great solution for this dilemma, as it allows you to easily switch peripherals and accessories from one computer to the other. IOGEAR has unveiled its newest such product and it is quite elegant. Called "GCS72CC," it offers two USB-C cables that you plug into both computers. Then, the device offers two USB-A ports and one DisplayPort. This lets you connect a mouse, keyboard, and monitor. You then press a convenient button to switch between machines.

Continue reading →

Working from home (WFH) and hybrid work have gone from being "new" to the "new normal." Yes, what was once a scary new world during the pandemic has become the standard. Office workers are happy to avoid traveling to an office when possible, and many businesses are happy to oblige.

If you want to be successful as a work-from-home employee, however, investment in quality hardware is key. You see, as people now mostly see and hear you on video chat platforms such as Zoom, you will leave a bad impression if you use a low quality webcam. Shouldn't you put your best foot forward?

Continue reading →

Can something as boring as Windows Terminal be made sexy? Well, maybe not necessarily in the erotic sense of the word (that would be super weird), but yes, the program apparently can be made more attractive and appealing thanks to some new customization options.

Today, Microsoft launches Windows Terminal Preview 1.16, and the new version has a whole bunch of changes such as a new text rendering engine and default colors. However, the truly exciting improvements are focused on the ability to customize things. You see, Microsoft has added an all-new themes feature and redesigned color schemes page. Ooh la la!

Continue reading →

Fedora and GNOME go together like peanut butter and jelly. It is the best Linux distribution combined with the greatest desktop environment. Not to mention, Fedora focuses on truly free and open source software. Sure, that may make the operating system a bit less inviting to Linux beginners, but many seasoned Linux experts know Fedora is the cream of the crop.

Today, Fedora 37 finally becomes available in Beta form, and the developers are hoping you will test it and provide some useful feedback. The most exciting aspect of Fedora 37 Beta is its use of GNOME 43, which is also in Beta. Also titillating is official Raspberry Pi 4 support, and yes, accelerated graphics are working. ARM fans will surely be happy about that, but sad to know the ARMv7 architecture will no longer be supported.

Continue reading →

Power supply units are arguably the unsung heroes of computer builds. They aren't very exciting, and they don't necessarily add to performance, but make no mistake -- having a quality PSU maters. A low-quality power supply can lead to system instability, and even worse, fires. Yeah, it is never worth it to choose a PSU from an unknown manufacturer.

LIAN LI is a very trustworthy and respected manufacturer of power supplies, and today, it launches its latest. Called "SP850," this is an 850W SFX power supply that comes with the latest-and-greatest 12VHPWR cable, making you ready for the newest cards. The modular PSU even comes in both white and black colors so you can make it look good in most computer builds.

Continue reading →

A few months ago, we shared with you that iOS 16 was on the way for Apple iPhone. Well, folks, today the operating system finally becomes available for iPhone 8 and higher. Yes, the five-year-old iPhone 8 can be updated to the latest version of iOS, putting Android to shame.

You see, some Android devices never get significant updates -- to get OS updates after 5 years with Android is pretty much unheard of. Yeah, being an Android user can be quite depressing, and iOS 16 makes Android 13 look like literal dog poop.

Continue reading →

While I am sure California is a nice place to live, it sure does seem like it has many problems. Not only does the state suffer from earthquakes, droughts, rampant homelessness, and wildfires, but increasingly, it is struggling to meet the electricity needs of its citizens. After all, as temperatures go up from global warming, more and more people will turn on air conditioners.

Thankfully, smart thermostats have the ability to alleviate some of these power consumption woes. You see, not only are these connected devices convenient, they can be controlled by the power companies during power usage spikes. With your permission, the power company can adjust your air conditioning slightly so that blackouts and brownouts can hopefully be prevented. Sometimes you will even be compensated for participating in such a thing.

Continue reading →

Mechanical keyboards are rather wonderful, but they are typically very tall and chunky too. The keys are often quite high, leading to wrist and/or finger fatigue for some users. While I love the feedback and accuracy of some mechanical keyboards, I often appreciate slim offerings such as Apple's Magic Keyboard.

What if a keyboard could offer the best of both worlds, however? Could a keyboard use premium mechanical keyswitches while also being super slim? Apparently, yes. You see, the all-new CORSAIR K100 AIR is a mechanical keyboard that is shockingly thin.

Continue reading →

Earlier today, Apple announced some cool new products, such as the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch 8. As expected, the company also unveiled the second generation AirPods Pro, and you'll never guess what they are called! Apple's marketing team worked really hard on a name for the product and came up with... AirPods Pro. Yup, to make things more confusing for shoppers, the new variant has the exact same name as its predecessor.

Sadly, this new 2022 version of AirPods Pro are lacking a huge feature many have been hoping for -- USB-C charging. Sigh. Once again, Apple has included a Lightning port, although an Apple Watch charger can now charge the wireless earbuds too. The earbuds do get some cool new features, however, such as an integrated location speaker on the charging case (which also gets a lanyard loop), touch controls, improved low-distortion audio driver, custom amp, longer battery life, and more.

Continue reading →

Are there way too many Linux distributions these days? Absolutely. More specifically, there are far too many operating systems that are based on other operating systems. If I see one more Linux distro based on Debian or Arch, I swear I am going to literally puke.

Linux distributions based on Slackware, however, are far less common these days, so such distros are definitely worth some attention. Today, the Slackware-based Salix 15 becomes available for download. This Linux-based operating system uses the Xfce 4.16 desktop environment and kernel 5.15.63. In addition to Flatpak support, this version of the distro comes with some excellent software pre-installed, such as Firefox 102 ESR, GIMP 2.10, and LibreOffice 7.4. Believe it or not, there are even versions for both 32-bit and 64-bit processors!

Continue reading →

Once of the most beautiful and user-friendly operating systems is a Linux distribution from China called deepin. If you are dissatisfied with Windows 11 or macOS, and you are intrigued by Linux, deepin can be a great choice if you highly value beauty and well-designed user interfaces.

The newest version of that operating system, deepin 20.7, is now ready to be downloaded, and it is chock-full of bug fixes and new features such as improved Grand Search with Google integration and an enhanced Mail app with new calendar functionality. Yes, this looks to be the best version of deepin yet!

Continue reading →