Brian Fagioli

Earlier today, we told you about the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2. This laptop is notable for being much more affordable than its predecessor while retaining its elegance. With that said, Samsung is not the only company making premium Chromebooks. In fact, as the Chromebook market matures, more and more manufactures are putting increased focus on their designs.

Acer is a company that has long supported the Chromebook community, offering many great machines over the years. Today, the company unveils the Chromebook Spin 514 and it is very intriguing. While the laptop appears to be nothing special on the outside, it is the internals that are exciting. You see, the Spin 514 is powered by AMD Ryzen APUs which feature Radeon graphics

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Chromebooks are great laptops, and I recommend them all the time. Long gone are the days where a Windows computer was necessary. Quite frankly, most homes would be better served by a computer running the Linux-based Chrome OS than any Microsoft operating system. While power users and gamers may want to stick with Windows (for now), the average user should without question buy a Chromebook instead.

Best of all, Chromebooks are no longer just underpowered laptops -- many have great specifications and elegant designs. For instance, last year, Samsung launched the beautiful Galaxy Chromebook. Today, the company unveils the sequel, and it is quite impressive. Called "Galaxy Chromebook 2," the convertible laptop has a QLED touch display with FHD resolution. Samsung promises an enhanced audio experience too.

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Last year, Apple released new Mac computers powered by the company's own M1 processors. Not only are there new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops, but a new Mac mini desktop too. I am fascinated by the new Apple Silicon processors, so last week, I bought my very own Mac mini. Guess what? It is a phenomenal computer that I love very much so far.

The problem with the Mac mini, however, is it doesn't come with a keyboard or mouse. This is by design, as Apple hopes Windows users will replace their current desktops with the little Mac -- simply reusing existing keyboards, mice, and monitors. Unfortunately, a Windows keyboard is not ideal for a Mac. Will it work? Yes, but it doesn't have the exact same keys, such as "COMMAND." And so, Mac mini buyers would be wise to buy a Mac keyboard.

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There are many streaming boxes nowadays, such as Apple TV and Chromecast with Google TV. Both of those are great options, but they are hardly the most popular. The average consumer typically chooses different devices, such as the Amazon Fire TV or a Roku.

Speaking of Roku, today, the company announces it has hit a major milestone. You see, there are now more than 50 million active Roku accounts! This is quite impressive, as Roku is facing more competition than ever before, including smart TVs with integrated streaming services.

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When it comes to computer mice, there are typically two types of designs that consumers desire. Some folks prefer simplicity, while others like tons of features and buttons. Neither is better, really, as it comes down to personal preference. For me, I like a simple mouse for regular computer use (I always insist on thumb buttons, though). When gaming, however, I like a mouse that is loaded to the gills with buttons and options.

Today, famed accessory-maker Mad Catz unveils an all-new wireless gaming mouse that looks like alien technology. Called "R.A.T. DWS," it is the exact opposite of "simplistic," as it features an insane 14 buttons. This is the first mouse to use the company's new DAKOTA mechanical switch.

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USB flash drives may not be as popular as they once were, but they still have their fans. 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. Today, Silicon Power launches a trio of OTG USB 3.2 Gen 1 storage drives that have USB-C connectivity. One of them even has dual connectivity, allowing it to be used with both USB-A and USB-C. Nice.

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Let's speak openly and honestly here. The Linux Mint developers never promised that the next version of the operating system would be released in the year 2020. However, when the Linux Mint 20.1 "Ulyssa" BETA was released before Christmas, many people hoped a stable version would be released before 2021.

Well, folks, I am sorry to say that the terrible 2020 strikes again, as today is New Year's Eve, and the Mint developers still have no idea when 20.1 "Ulyssa" will be released. Since today is the last day of the year, all we know for sure is 2020 is absolutely out of the question. Sadly, the Linux distro is riddled with bugs at the moment, with a massive 34 outstanding issues.

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Well, folks, 2020 is almost in the books, and once again, it was not the fabled year of Linux on the desktop. Yes, Microsoft's Windows 10 still reigns supreme as far as market share, but that doesn't mean it is the best desktop operating system -- just the most popular. In fact, many consumers are switching to Linux-based Chromebooks for their simplicity and security, while macOS continues to attract new users. Those M1 Macs in particular are quite intriguing, especially when a brand-new Mac Mini can be had for less than $700.

The thing is, neither Windows 10 or macOS are the prettiest desktop operating system -- that designation belongs to a Linux distribution from China called "deepin". Today, Debian-based deepin Linux 20.1 (1010) becomes available for download and you should absolutely check it out. Hell, depending on your needs, you should consider switching from Windows 10! Seriously, y'all, deepin is that good.

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Yeah, I know, 2020 sucks. We have all seen the memes about how it has been a terrible year. Sadly, we have lost more than 300 thousand Americans to the deadly COVID-19 virus, and many people have suffered financially as a result of business shutdowns. It is terrible and tragic. With that said, at least the 2020 presidential election went well, as the best candidate, Joe Biden, defeated the much-maligned Donald Trump in a landslide victory.

Understandably, many folks are eager for 2020 to go away, and with New Year's Eve fast approaching, there are sure to be many celebrations to ring in 2021. If you want to get your 2021 partying started early, I have some great news -- Google Assistant has a secret 'New Year Song' that is absolutely adorable.

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Being an American is pretty great. After all, we get to live in the best country in the world. We have many freedoms that other countries do not, such as speech, press, and religion to name a few. And when it comes to tech products, we usually get access to the best. Thanks to the xenophobic Donald Trump we can't have Huawei products, but I digress.

With all of that said, China gets some amazing tech exclusives -- especially when it comes to smartphones. For instance, Xiaomi phones are quite beautiful and powerful, but rarely destined for the USA -- unless you import one. Today, that company unveils its latest Android-based flagship. Called "Mi 11," it is gorgeous with impressive specs, but it will not come to America officially.

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If you are into photography, you have probably seen many types of memory cards over the years, such as CompactFlash, Memory Stick, and Secure Digital (SD). I recall owning an Olympus camera that used the now-defunct xD, but I digress.

One of the most cutting-edge memory cards these days is CFexpress, thanks to its blazing fast read and write speeds. It is used by high-end cameras, such as the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR. Today, ADATA announces the ICFP301 card, which is a Type B variant of CFexpress. While very fast, it should prove rather durable too, as it is technically designed for industrial applications.

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RGB lighting is amazing -- it's a fact. It has the ability to make a great product even better. True, some people hate the inclusion of RGB in so many products nowadays, but to them I say, either buy a different product or simply turn the lighting off. You see, many of these products allow you to turn off the lighting effects entirely, so there really is no downside.

Today, ADATA announces its latest solid state drive, and yes, it features RGB lighting. Called "SPECTRIX S20G," this PCIe Gen3x4 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD carries the company's XPG branding, meaning it is intended for gaming. With that said, even non-gamers can enjoy the performance and good looks of this SSD.

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ARM is the future of desktop computing, and once again, Apple is leading the mainstream in this regard -- its new M1 Mac computers have been very well received. True, Microsoft had Windows on ARM first, but the reality is, consumers didn't care about that. Apple has made desktop computing on ARM popular.

With all of that said, Linux on ARM predates both Windows and macOS on ARM, and quite frankly, Linux is better equipped to scale to different architectures. The newest Raspberry Pi 4 computer, for instance, can run desktop Linux distros like a champ. And now, Arch Linux-based Manjaro ARM 20.12 is here for Raspberry Pi 4, Pinebook, Odroid N2, and more.

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USB-C docks and docking stations are rather common these days, so it can be hard to get excited about them. Websites like Amazon are absolutely 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.

With all of that said, StarTech.com has managed to create a USB-C mini travel dock that stands out from the crowd. Called "DKT31CHDVCM," it features a unique hockey puck shape. Its small footprint and integrated USB-C cable should make it perfect for travel. You can, of course, use it at home too. It even has three video outputs -- VGA, DisplayPort, and HDMI.

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There are way too many streaming services nowadays. If you want to subscribe to them all, it will cost a small fortune. For instance, there is Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and more. One of the newer services is HBO Max, which is already wildly popular. It will only gain in popularity, as several Warner Bros. movies will debut on the service simultaneously with theaters in 2021. This includes the highly anticipated Matrix 4.

With all of that said, HBO Max has not been available on Roku, which is absolutely tragic. After all, millions on households depend on Roku devices for their streaming services. Today this changes, however, as HBO Max finally comes to Roku. Woo-hoo!

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