Another Apple Event has come and gone, and this time, the iPhone 12 lineup was the star of the show. Those smartphones look great, and are even semi-affordable, starting at just $699. While I would like to see Apple start the pricing about $100 less, who can blame the company for charging what it does -- people will undoubtedly buy them like mad regardless.

The new iPhone 12 devices were not the only new products announced, however. Apple also showed off a new smart speaker called HomePod mini. As the name implies, it is a smaller (3.3 inches tall, 3.9 inches wide) version of the existing HomePod, and it is more affordable too. Sadly, Siri is still rather dumb, and the spherical design is quite ugly. The device looks like a cheap candle or something. Meh, Apple could have done much better -- the still-breathing Jony Ive must be rolling in his figurative grave.

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Amazon Prime Day is a bit of a misnomer, as it is two days long (October 13 and 14). But hey, who can argue with that? Having 48 hours of great deals is like celebrating Christmas in October! Hell, some people are predicting these Prime Day deals could be even better than Black Friday.

We here at BetaNews have been sharing top technology news with you for over 20 years, so obviously, we know good tech deals when we see them. So to help you navigate Amazon Prime Day 2020, we have compiled some of the best deals.

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Of all the smart home devices I have connected to my network, the Nest Thermostat is probably my favorite. I can easily adjust my central air conditioning without leaving my couch or bed. While I can control the unit directly, or with the smartphone app, I prefer using my voice. I can ask my Google Home "What is the inside temperature?" and then command it to raise or lower it by voice too. It feels like magic -- I will never return to a "dumb" thermostat again.

Of course, many people are still clinging to their old outdated thermostats because of two things -- fear of installation and cost. I am happy to say, installing a smart thermostat is very easy -- if you follow the instructions and go slowly. Even better? Google has a new such product that is incredibly affordable. The unimaginatively named "Nest Thermostat" is designed to replace the "Nest Thermostat E." This new model should fit into the budgets of many homeowners.

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Should you sign up for a paid VPN service? Only you can make that decision, but I do recommend them highly. Not only can they hide your activity from your ISP, but they can make you safer when using non-secure public Wi-Fi. Of course, you should avoid such public Wi-Fi networks when you can, but if you need to utilize them, a VPN is a must.

With all of that said, all VPN providers are not created equally. Free ones should be avoided at all costs, as their business models cannot be trusted. In other words, privacy and free services generally don't mix. Sadly, picking a good VPN provider can be hard, as there are so many from which to choose these days. Thankfully, VPNRatings.com has done some research on the subject, and it has shared its list of the Top 20 VPNs. And yes, privacy and security were huge factors.

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Google's Nexus 7 was undoubtedly the greatest Android tablet of all time. Its small size (7-inch screen) and lightweight body made it perfect to hold in the hand, making it ideal for consuming media and surfing the web. Not to mention it was very affordable. Sadly, the search-giant stopped selling the Nexus 7, and then ultimately left the Android tablet market altogether.

While no company can ever fill the hole in our hearts left by the Nexus 7, the TCL TAB Android tablet might actually come quite close. This no-nonsense device from TCL is exclusive to Verizon, meaning it does have 4G LTE connectivity -- very nice. It does not have 5G, however. It does have modern niceties such as USB-C charging, reverse charging, and a fingerprint reader. Its overall look is very reminiscent of the Nexus 7, and despite it having an 8-inch display, its dimensions are very similar too.

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Western Digital makes damn good storage products, and its WD_BLACK line is probably its most intriguing. While primarily designed for gamers, WD_BLACK is also a great choice for enthusiasts that crave high performance and elegant designs.

Today, Western Digital unveils a trio of new WD_BLACK gaming NVMe SSD products, and all three look incredible. There is the SN850 which is a PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD, the AN1500 PCIe Gen 3 NVMe SSD Add-in card, and the drop-dead gorgeous D50 Game Dock NVMe SSD -- a Thunderbolt 3 docking station with integrated NVMe SSD.

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The year 2020 has been pretty much bad across the board -- unless you are AMD, that is. That company has been wildly successfully this year, pretty much besting Intel in all ways. Not only are AMD Ryzen processors being embraced by enthusiasts on the desktop, but on mobile too. Intel simply can't compete.

While I am sure Intel's latest 11th gen Core processors will be fine, they are already old hat. Why? Because today, AMD officially unveils its latest "ZEN 3" Ryzen 5000 processors. Not only are these 7nm multi-core chips extremely powerful, but they are quite aggressively priced too. You can expect to see many new PC builds using these processors from both gamers and enthusiasts.

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Back in the day, getting a laptop with Linux pre-installed was almost unheard of. For the most part, you had to buy a computer with Windows and then install Linux yourself. This wasn't bad, necessarily, but it did mean that the price of the computer included a Windows license you maybe didn't want. In other words, Microsoft was profiting off of Linux users -- just because they bought a Windows PC.

In 2020, however, there are many computers to be had with Linux pre-installed, thanks to pioneers like System76. Of course, nowadays, big companies like Dell and Lenovo are selling Linux machines too. Today, yet another such laptop hits the market -- the second generation Kubuntu Focus M2. Yes, this is the second officially sanctioned notebook from the developers of the KDE variant of Ubuntu.

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Wired keyboards are better than wireless keyboards. Sure, cables can be unsightly and take away from the overall beauty of your desk, but bottom line, wired variants don't require charging -- a huge benefit. Not to mention, there is no risk of wireless interference causing lagging or disconnects. Ultimately, wired keyboards just end up being superior.

Today, Logitech unveils its latest wired keyboard. Called "K845," it comes with options for several types of switches, meaning all consumers should be able to find a model that meets their wants and/or needs. It is backlit, yes, but just with regular white light. There is no RGB, and for many people, that could be a plus. Despite tenkeyless keyboards gaining in popularity nowadays, the K845 has a number pad.

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You do have a Wi-Fi 6 router, don't you? No? Oh my. You may want to consider upgrading soon. These routers are not only faster because of the superior 802.11ax protocol, but thanks to WPA3, they are often more secure too. There are many great models on the market, starting as low as 80 bucks. There's no excuse for not upgrading, folks.

Today, Zyxel announces its latest router, and holy moly, it is a beauty. Called "Armor G5," this Wi-Fi 6 router has an insane 13 internal antennas. It has four gigabit LAN ports, as is typical, but it has some additional multi-gig magic too. You see, it also has a 10G LAN port and a 2.5G WAN port. The Armor G5 even has a USB-A port on the rear. All of this is housed in a beautifully sleek body.

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Thunderbolt 3 docking stations have proven to be game-changing devices, allowing both MacBook and Windows 10 laptop owners to essentially transform their portable computers into desktops. With a single cable, you can charge your notebook plus connect multiple accessories, such as a mouse, keyboard, monitor, and more.

Plugable is a name that has become synonymous with quality docking stations, and today, it launches its latest such Thunderbolt dock. Called "TBT3-UD1-85W," it offers one USB-A and one USB-C on the front. On the rear, the dock features USB-A, Gigabit Ethernet, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3, TB3 Host, and dedicated headphone and microphone jacks. As the name of the product implies, it provides 85 watts for charging,

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Today is Friday, meaning later this afternoon, we will officially be starting the weekend! Woo-hoo! Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, many of us will be spending our weekend downtime indoors once again. Sigh. The weekend is far less exciting when you've been self-quarantining for months due to a pandemic.

Thankfully, we can all still have plenty of fun while indoors thanks to the internet. Not only can we stream video and music, but we can play online video games too. If you are a computer nerd, however, I have a much better suggestion -- install the new Ubuntu Beta! That's right, Linux fans, Ubuntu 20.10 "Groovy Gorilla" Beta is now available for download. This doesn't just include the "vanilla" GNOME version either, but other variants like Kubuntu and Xubuntu as well.

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Well, folks, the Thunderbolt 4 revolution is just about here. Some computers with Intel's 11th-generation Core processors (Tiger Lake) will offer TB4 ports, and eventually, devices that can actually take advantage of the standard will be hitting the market. For the immediate future, however, Thunderbolt 3 will still reign supreme. Thankfully, TB4 is backwards compatible with TB3 (and uses the same USB-C connector), so your existing gear should continue to work fine.

If you are chomping at the bit to see some actual Thunderbolt 4 devices, I have some great news. Today, the typically Apple-focused company, OWC, unveils the Thunderbolt 4 Hub for Windows 10 devices. Essentially, it turns one TB4 port into three (no daisy-chaining needed), while also offering a USB-A port (3.2 gen 2) for good measure.

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There are many great Linux-based desktop operating systems nowadays. There are arguably too many Linux distros, but I digress. For instance, if you are an experienced Linux user, you can opt for something like Debian or Fedora, while novices are better served by Ubuntu or Linux Lite.

One of the best operating systems for beginners and Windows-switchers, however, is Linux Mint. This is a no-nonsense Linux distro that looks good, is very stable, and ultimately "just works" for many users. New versions of the operating system are named after women, and today, we learn what Linux Mint 20.1 will be called.

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Earlier today, Google had a special product unveiling. Called "Launch Night In," the search giant showed off a bunch of new devices, wrapping up the whole spectacle in 30 minutes. It was concise, focused, and largely without surprise. Nearly everything that was "revealed," was previously leaked. And so, there is nothing to be excited about, right? Well, not so fast.

At the Google event, the company unveiled a handful of truly interesting devices -- two phones, a speaker, and even a new media player. None of them are particularly cutting edge, but they all have something in common -- value. Yes, all the products are affordable, and in these uncertain times, consumers should greatly appreciate that.

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