Brian Fagioli

Many homes and businesses rely on wireless networking almost exclusively, and that's not really a bad thing. This is especially true if you are only connecting to the internet and not transferring files between machines on your network. Look, Wi-Fi has gotten much better over the years, becoming both faster and more stable. Not to mention, wireless connectivity is more convenient and less messy -- you don't need to run cables through walls.

If you do leverage wired networking and transfer files between computers on your local network, Zyxel has a new multi-gigabit switch that you should definitely check out. Called "XGS1250-12," this 12-Port web-managed switch features eight gigabit ports, one 10G fiber port, plus a trio of multi-gig ports with a maximum of 10G each. Best of all, the switch is surprisingly affordable.

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You do have a Wi-Fi 6 router, don't you? No? Oh heavens. You may want to consider upgrading soon. Look, even if you don't have any Wi-Fi 6 devices yet, you can score such a router, like the TP-Link Archer AX10, for less than $100. Seriously, folks, at these prices it's time to upgrade your aging wireless networking gear already.

While the aforementioned Archer AX10 is a great basic Wi-Fi 6 router, you may want something a bit better than entry level. In that case, you ill want to check out TP-Link's all-new Archer AX73 router. Yeah, it costs more, but it is still very affordable at less than $200 -- especially when you consider its promised AX5400 performance. It even has a USB 3.0 port and an impressive six antennas!

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Smartphones are no longer exciting and they never will be again. You know what? That's fine. These devices are just tools in our day to day lives at this point. The good ol' days where people lined up overnight to get the newest models are long gone. Even the once-popular keynote event where companies highlighted their newest phones on a stage has fallen out of favor with consumers -- those events have largely become a joke at this point. An unintended parody of sorts.

And so, it is not surprising that a major smartphone maker has decided to exit the overcrowded and boring mobile market. Yes, folks, after many rumors, LG has finally decided to officially stop making smartphones and tablets.

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Does anybody truly need a PCIe 4.0 solid state drive? Well, "need" is a tricky word. Nobody will die as a result of using a slower and cheaper PCIe 3.0 SSD, but at the same time, some people very strongly crave having the latest and greatest. Gamers in particular are constantly looking for an edge with better hardware, even if doesn't really end up helping with their gaming.

Today, ADATA launches an insanely fast solid state drive under its XPG gaming brand. Called "GAMMIX S70 BLADE," it is a PCIe Gen4x4 M.2 2280 SSD with read speeds up to 7,400MB/s and write speeds up to 6,400MB/s. Yeah, folks, that is extremely high performance and both gamers and enthusiasts are going to want it badly.

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Today is April 1, also known as "April Fool's Day," which is a holiday for pranks and jokes. On this day, it can be hard to know what news stories are real and which are fake. Some find April Fool's Day to be fun, while others see it as annoying.

Well, folks, I am happy to say that today, Ubuntu Linux 21.04 achieves final Beta status. And no, that isn't a joke -- it is the real deal! Code-named "Hirsute Hippo," the Beta can be had with your choice of several desktop environments, such as GNOME, KDE Plasma, and Xfce.

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If you love mini desktop computers as much as I do, you absolutely must check out Minisforum. This manufacturer produces unique NUC-like computers with beautiful designs and respectable performance. They can typically run both Windows 10 and Linux wonderfully. We recently tested out the Intel-powered Minisforum EliteMini H31G and came away very impressed.

As an AMD fan, however, I am extremely excited about the company's latest offering. Called "DESKMINI HM50," this miniature desktop computer is powered by a six-core AMD Ryzen 5 4500U processor and features Radeon graphics.

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Windows 7 and Windows 10 aren't terrible operating systems. In fact, they are both very good. With that said, the newest version of Windows 10 has many bugs. Unfortunately, since Windows 7 is no longer supported, its users have a very hard decision to make. They have to decide whether to use an unsupported Windows 7 or upgrade to Windows 10 that is full of telemetry and other "spying" that passes their information to Microsoft's servers. That is a very difficult decision.

Thankfully, there is an arguably better option -- just switch to Linux! Yes, modern Linux-based operating systems will be supported (unlike the now-obsolete Windows 7) and most will run great on aging hardware (unlike Windows 10). Linux Lite, which uses the Xfce desktop environment, is one of the best Linux distributions for Windows-switchers, as it is lightweight, modern, and familiar.

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Debian is a great operating system in its own right, but also, it makes for an excellent base for other Linux distributions as well. For example, Ubuntu is probably the most well-known Linux distro and it is based on Debian. There are countless other operating systems, such as Netrunner, that stand on Debian's figurative shoulders.

The prettiest and most exciting Debian-based operating system, however, is deepin. This Chinese-developed Linux distribution is probably the most beautiful desktop operating system on the planet; it is arguably better than both Apple's macOS and Microsoft's Windows 10 in the style department. deepin has what some consider the most beautiful and intuitive user interfaces.

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Windows 10 is a great operating system for several reasons. For instance, it is stable, secure, and compatible with a ton of hardware. Microsoft has done a phenomenal job of making Windows 10 better year after year.

One of my favorite aspects of Windows 10 is Windows Hello -- the biometic security system that allows you to unlock your PC with your face or a fingerprint. Biometric unlocking on Linux is pretty much non-existent for typical desktop users, which is very annoying. Apple's macOS has Touch ID with compatible laptops, but it can't be used immediately after a boot like Window Hello can. You also can't add Touch ID to a Mac using USB like you can with Windows 10 and Windows Hello.

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Solid state storage is constantly getting faster. The truth, however, is while PCIe Gen 4 SSDs are now available, they are total overkill for most consumers. Hell, most people would be more than fine with a meager SATA drive. With that said, the previous-generation PCIe Gen 3 SSDs are now very inexpensive (and quite fast) making them a smart buy whether you truly need the extra speed or not. In other words, a SATA SSD should probably be avoided nowadays -- unless your PC simply isn't compatible with anything else.

Today, Kingston launches its latest NVMe M.2 solid state drive for both desktops and laptops. Called "NV1," this PCIe Gen 3 SSD has fairly modest specifications in the grand scheme of things, but it is definitely more than fast enough for the majority of consumers. Most importantly, it is priced very competitively. Just how affordable is the NV1? It starts at less than $65!

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New York is the best state in the USA, and no, I don't just say that because I am a resident. Is it wildly expensive to live in many areas of New York? Absolutely. But you get what you pay for, folks -- parks, beaches, entertainment, restaurants, etc. Look, New York is a trendsetter and leader that was able to overcome the 9/11 terrorist attacks. And guess what? New York is now leading the way to a post-COVID normalcy.

You see, Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced Excelsior Pass -- a digital way for New York residents to prove they are either fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or recently tested negative. This will allow businesses to verify a patron's status before allowing them entry. In other words, things like concerts and sporting events will soon be more accessible, and other states need to follow New York's lead ASAP.

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If you love tiny desktop computers as much as I do, you absolutely must check out Minisforum. This manufacturer makes diminutive PCs with both attractive designs and respectable performance. They can typically run both Windows 10 and Linux wonderfully.

As an AMD fan, I am very excited about Minisforum's latest offering. Called "DESKMINI UM340," this miniature desktop computer is powered by a quad-core AMD Ryzen 5 3450U CPU and has Radeon Vega 8 graphics. While it comes with either 8GB or 16GB RAM, it will support up to 64GB of memory. For storage, there are two capacities of NVMe SSDs -- 256GB and 512GB.

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USB flash drives may not be as popular as they were years ago, but they still have their place. For instance, even though I save most of my data to the cloud nowadays, I still depend on flash drives for installing operating systems, such as Windows 10, Ubuntu, Manjaro, and more.

The problem with traditional USB flash drives, however, is many new computers no longer have USB-A ports. And so, they require the use of dongles or adapters. Thankfully, companies are also making USB Type-C flash drives. Even better, today, Transcend unveils a flash drive that has both USB-A and USB-C connectors. Called "JetFlash 930C," it should work with pretty much any computer.

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Microsoft loves to release special editions of its Xbox controllers with fun colors and designs, and apparently, consumers really enjoy buying them. After all, if these controllers weren't selling well, it is doubtful Microsoft would bother to continue putting them out. Are these special controllers just money-grabs? Sure. But hey, if people enjoy them, so be it

Today, Microsoft announces two new special edition Xbox One controllers -- Electric Volt and Daystrike Camo. Both look very cool, but I happen to prefer the former -- that green reminds me of yummy Mountain Dew. Color and design aside, these controllers are extra special, as they are environmentally friendly too. You see, this is the first-ever Xbox hardware to be produced with post-consumer recycled resins. In other words, Microsoft is keeping some plastics, such as old compact discs and water jugs, out of landfills. Nice.

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Just yesterday, we told you that Fedora 34 Beta was released, and it was notable for using the upcoming GNOME 40 desktop environment. Well, I have great news Linux fans -- today GNOME 40 is officially released, and yes, it will be used in the eventual stable version of Fedora 34.

But yo, wait, hold on, why is the newest version of GNOME being designated as 40? Wasn't the previous version 3.38? Yeah, that is factual, but no, the developers haven't gone crazy. Actually, as we told you last year, GNOME has a new versioning scheme. It is, understandably, a bit confusing to jump from 3.x to 40, but that's what it is, folks! You know what though? Who cares what it's called as long as it remains great. And once again, it looks to be.

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