USB-C docking stations are pretty common these days. In fact, websites like Amazon are littered with countless makes and models. Of course, not all of them are good, nor are they all the same. Features can vary from dock to dock, such as the number of USB ports or video outputs.

Speaking of video output, most USB-C docks have either one or two such ports. Today, however, Plugable launches a docking station with four HDMI ports, and yes, they can all be used simultaneously for a quad-monitor configuration. But despite having so many video outputs, it doesn't skimp on other useful ports, including an SD card reader!

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Every year, often in June, Logitech launches its latest Design Collection of wireless mice. These are small portable mice that are intended for laptops, but they can be used with any computer that has a USB-A port. Yes, these use a USB dongle rather than Bluetooth. They also don't have any thumb buttons and they do not have rechargeable batteries.

If you think these mice sound pretty basic, you'd be correct. So what makes them exciting? Ah, good question. This mouse collection is notable for featuring funky designs. Basically, Logitech's Design Collection is intended to be fun and whimsical with unique patterns and wacky colors. This year, the Design Collection seems largely focused on plants and flowers (you can see them above).

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Is Windows 11 a good desktop operating system. Absolutely. Is it the best desktop operating system? Well, that is harder to answer. Ultimately, if you are 100 percent dependent on Windows software, then yes, Windows 11 is the best operating system... for you. If you can get by without using software designed for Microsoft's OS, however, a Linux-based operating system might be the better option -- especially if you have an older computer.

You see, Windows 11 is very polarizing. The operating system features radical changes to the user interface (such as a centered task bar) which some users do like, but many others do not. Not to mention, the system requirements will leave many still-capable computers unable to upgrade without using unofficial hacks. Even worse, computers deemed incompatible could eventually stop getting updates! Linux doesn't have these problems.

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We recently told you about the Kingston VP80ES IronKey Vault Privacy 80 -- a speedy portable SSD that features USB-C connectivity and a touchscreen for tapping-in a password or pin. While that drive is quite amazing, not everyone will truly need the fast speeds or touchscreen -- it could be overkill. Instead, a hardware-encrypted USB flash drive could be sufficient -- and much less expensive.

Today, Kingston launches its latest hardware-encrypted flash drive. Called "IronKey Vault Privacy 50 (VP50)," the drive uses a USB-A connector and is offered in capacities ranging from 8GB to 256GB. The VP50 features XTS-AES 256-bit encryption and is FIPS 197 certified.

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Anyone can become a YouTuber or Twitch streamer, but not everyone can become rich and famous from doing it. Many young folks have big dreams about becoming the next big video-game-streaming star, but sadly, that is not at all likely. And so, if you are passionate about streaming yourself playing video games, it would be wise to simply do it for fun -- forget about money. Look, if you get fame and fortune from the hobby, just consider it an added bonus.

While streaming yourself playing PC games is incredibly easy, what if you would rather do it with a console (such PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, or Nintendo Switch) while also sharing your PC webcam? Ah, that is a bit more tough. For this, you will need an HDMI capture card. While PCIe variants do exist for desktops, there is a much simpler route -- USB. Yes, an external capture card is easier to install and works with both desktops and laptops.

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MINISFORUM is a computer-maker that has been releasing many models of mini PCs lately. Its machines are often looked upon favorably by consumers that prefer diminutive desktops. Not only are its computers small and well-made, but often quite powerful too. These tiny machines can be good servers, retro-gaming machines, office workstations, home theater PCs, and more.

Many MINISFORUM computers are powered by capable Intel processors, but the company has been embracing AMD chips a lot lately as well. In fact, the company now has several AMD-powered options. Today, MINISFORUM announces an upcoming AMD desktop that is very cute. Called "Venus Series UM560," it is powered by a Ryzen 5 5625U CPU. The little computer can be purchased as either a barebones or with both RAM and storage pre-installed.

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What makes Surfshark one of the best paid VPN services on the market? Well, besides being extremely affordable, it has no device limit and is very easy to use on many platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and iPadOS. Not to mention, the developers are constantly adding new features -- they don't rest on their laurels. I highly recommend the service.

A desktop Linux version of Surfshark has been available for a while now, but sadly, it did not have a graphical user interface (GUI) -- you had to configure and run it from the terminal. While this technically worked, it was clunky and annoying, making Surfshark on Linux inferior to versions for other operating systems.

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If you are a fan of pirating TV shows and movies, you have undoubtedly used Plex over the years. If you aren't familiar, the service uses a server/client concept, where you store your media on one machine and then stream it to another device. While Plex technically can be used for legally-obtained media, I predict that many (if not most) of its users are watching pirated content. Look, I'm not judging... I'm just trying to be honest.

And now, the Plex Desktop app and new Plex HTPC client app are both available for Linux -- but only from the Snap Store. Don't like Canonical's snaps? Don't worry, according to a blog post, the Plex developers are planning to roll out flatpak versions eventually too. Before anyone starts arguing about snap vs flatpak, let's just celebrate another big win for the Linux community overall. Okay?

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We here at BetaNews often sing the praises of Tails, as the Linux-based operating system allows you to surf the web more privately. This is particularly important for those living under oppressive governments, such as China and Russia, but it can be beneficial for all internet users -- even those in the good ol' USA.

Sadly, it seems we must warn against using Tails for now, as it has been discovered that there is a significant vulnerability in the operating system. More specifically, a vulnerability was found in the Firefox and Tor web browsers, which are core aspects of Tails 5.0. The vulnerability is so severe, that the Tails developers are asking users to suspend use of the Live distribution entirely until a Tails 5.1 ISO is released next week.

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How do you make a portable SSD a "gaming" drive? Just add RGB lighting, of course! Today, Lexar launches a new solid state drive that it claims is designed for gaming. Is that just marketing? Yes and no. Called "SL660 BLAZE," the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 SSD features RGB lighting and comes with a really cool stand to prop it up. While the drive itself has a USB-C connector, it comes with both a USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A cable in the box.

Besides the RGB lighting gimmick (which is very cool), the SL660 BLAZE actually can benefit gamers that need to store games on both PC and console. The drive offers respectable read speeds of up to 2,000MB/s and write speeds of up to 1,900MB/s. Of course, the drive can be used by anyone that wants a fast and attractive SSD -- it isn't just limited to gaming.

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Logitech's MX Master wireless mice are very popular with consumers, but I am not a big fan. Don't get me wrong, these mice are very well-made, but they are a bit too big for my small hands. Not to mention, I find some of the extra bells-and-whistles like the clickable thumb rest and thumb scroll-wheel to be unnecessary and distracting. In other words, not everyone will enjoy using an MX Master mouse.

Today, Logitech launches its latest such mouse -- the MX Master 3S. As the name suggests, it is only a slight improvement over the existing MX Master 3; it apparently isn't worthy of an "MX Master 4" moniker. What makes the 3S better than the 3? Essentially, it has up to 90 percent quieter clicking and an improved 8,000 DPI optical sensor. In other words, if you already have an MX Master 3, upgrading to the S variant would be a bit silly.

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If you have ever driven a car and needed directions, there's a good chance you have tried Waze. The Google-owned service is very popular thanks to its crowdsourced traffic information -- any user can report traffic jams, police speed traps, and more. It really is a useful app that can reduce travel times.

One of the coolest features of Waze is the ability to integrate with music-streaming services, such as Spotify, so you don't have to exit the navigation app to interact with music controls. This isn't just for convenience, but for safety purposes too. Sadly, the wildly popular Apple Music has not been compatible with the aforementioned Waze feature, but today, this finally changes.

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Solid state drives don't just make wonderful internal boot drives for computers -- they're excellent for external storage too. Not only are they smaller than mechanical hard disk drives, but they use less power and are much faster as well. Quite frankly, if you are someone that needs to transport data on a portable drive, you'd be insane to still use a HDD with moving parts.

But what if you lose that external solid state drive? Well, if the content is unencrypted, your files could be exposed to the finder. This is particularly problematic for business users that are storing company secrets or private customer data. Thankfully, a new USB-C solid state drive from Kingston makes it super easy to encrypt and decrypt your data. You see, the VP80ES IronKey Vault Privacy 80 is a hardware-encrypted (FIPS 197 certified with XTS-AES 256-bit) SSD with a color touchscreen that allows you to enter a passcode, password, pin, or phrase.

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Are all PCIe 4.0 solid state drives fast? Absolutely. However, they aren't all the same speed. For instance, the Mushkin SSD we covered here can achieve read speeds up to 7,415MB/s -- that is really fast. A new SSD called "UD90" from Silicon Power, however, can only do up to 4,800MB/s.

Yes, folks, we have two M.2 drives, both with the same PCIe Gen 4x4 interface, but one is significantly faster than the other. In other words, the UD90 is rather slow as a PCIe Gen 4.0 drive... comparatively. And yet, compared to SATA-based solid state drives, the UD90 is actually incredibly fast.

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Rumors have been swirling lately that HP was planning to release a laptop running the Pop!_OS operating system. Today, System76's CEO Carl Richell shared on Twitter that this is absolutely happening -- a 14-inch developer-focused notebook called "Dev One." While this is good news for the Linux community overall, it is quite curious. After all, System76 doesn't just maintain the Pop!_OS operating system, it sells computers running the distribution too. In other words, HP and System76 are competitors in the hardware business.

So, what does this tell me? Well, it is purely speculation, but as the old adage says, "where there is smoke, there is fire." And so, it is safe to assume that HP acquiring System76 could be a possibility in the future -- if this new relationship pans out at least. HP could be testing the waters with the upcoming Dev One. Keep in mind, System76 does not even build its own laptops, so we could see the company leave the notebook business and focus on desktops only -- let HP handle the Pop!_OS laptops.

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