Brian Fagioli

A couple days ago, we told you about a new version of a wonderful Linux distribution called Linux Lite. As great as that operating system is -- especially for those switching from Windows -- it isn't the only Linux distribution that is lightweight and easy to use. In fact, the Linux community probably has too many distributions from which to choose, but I digress.

Today, yet another great Linux-based operating system gets updated to a new version, this time it is MX Linux 19.2. It uses the lightweight -- yet pretty -- Xfce 4.14 for its desktop environment and MESA 18.3.6. It comes loaded with some great software, such as LibreOffice 6.1.5, Thunderbird 68.6.1, Firefox 76, GIMP 2.10.12, VLC 3.0.10, and Clementine 1.3.1.

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Windows 7 and Windows 10 aren't bad operating systems. In fact, they are both quite good. With that said, the newest version of Windows 10 has many bugs. Unfortunately, since Windows 7 is no longer supported, some of its users are stuck in a conundrum. 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.

Thankfully, there is another option -- 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 is one of the best Linux distributions for Windows-switchers, as it is lightweight, modern, and familiar.

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Imagine being a fancy lad — a sophisticated man about town that draws attention and respect from everyone around you. Women want to be with you. Men want to be you. You have style, class, and a bank account that holds much money. Your car is foreign and your clothes are expensive. You of course use an iPhone, because that’s what high-class people own. Android is for peasants!

When you need to charge your iPhone, you don’t use the cable it came with, do you? Oh, of course not — that would be so pedestrian. If you are truly a fancy man, you will instead use Anker’s new 24K gold USB-C to Lightning cable. After all, it's probably what Queen Elizabeth II uses to top off her Apple devices. Best of all, it only costs a mere $100 — peanuts.

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Now is a wonderful time to be in the market for a laptop. There are many great models powered by the latest Intel and AMD processors. Companies like HP and Dell, for instance, have some very compelling computers out right now, while Microsoft recently released some new Surface devices. If you live on the web, a Chromebook may meet your needs. Heck, even Apple notebooks should be considered, as its entire MacBook line finally has "good" keyboards again. Whether your budget is a few hundred bucks -- or a few thousand -- there is a quality laptop out there for you.

The problem with having such a crowded laptop market, is manufacturers can have a hard time standing out among the competition. Well, Samsung has managed to do exactly that. You see, today, the company announces that its existing 13.3-inch Galaxy Book S is the first-ever computer to get Intel's revolutionary Lakefield CPU as an option. This fanless (woo-hoo!) Intel Core processor with Intel Hybrid Technology (Core i5-L16G7) enables very long standby battery life, making it an intriguing machine for road-warriors. The Galaxy Book S can be an "always-connected" computer thanks to its Wi-Fi 6 and LTE radios. You also get 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM and up to 512GB of SSD storage. Best of all, unlike the neutered ARM model of the Galaxy Book S, this Intel variant can run all Windows programs -- including 64-bit software!

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It is never fun to buy the same game over and over again as it gets repeatedly re-released for newer and newer consoles. So naturally, backwards compatibility is a good thing. Microsoft seems to be hoping the ability to play old games will make the terribly named Xbox Series X attractive to consumers.

In fact, the company isn't just promising backwards compatibility, but the ability to make some old games look and run better on the newer hardware. You will even be able to use Quick Resume -- the ability to start playing exactly where you left off -- with these previous-gen games. While this is all undoubtedly cool, it is not the way to advertise a next-generation console. If Sony's upcoming PlayStation 5 ends up being superior for next-gen titles -- absolutely a  possibility -- the Xbox Series X's enhanced backwards compatibility won't really matter.

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If you don’t use a number pad, having one on your keyboard is a huge waste of desk real estate. It just hangs off the right side of your keyboard, mocking you. Alternatively, a tenkeyless model removes the number pad, and as a result, it will save space on your desk. Not to mention, it can allow your keyboard hand to be closer to your mouse hand while gaming — a potential benefit for comfort.

Last year, we told you about the Logitech G915 LIGHTSPEED low-profile mechanical gaming keyboard — a wireless model with RGB lighting. Today, the company unveils the G915 TKL, which is essentially the same model with the number pad removed. Number pad aside, it also loses some of the customizable buttons found on the regular G915 — a small price to pay to have more space on your desk.

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Seagate is today releasing a gaming SSD, and I’m sure you’re wondering if that is just a marketing gimmick. The answer, dear reader, is yes it is. Nothing really makes a drive better for gaming. But while it is just marketing speak, the truth is Seagate is a trusted name in storage, so you should consider it for gaming and other uses too.

The "FireCuda 120," as it is called, isn’t even remarkably fast -- it is a SATA SSD and not the faster PCIe type. But that is fine, particularly for gaming, as impact between SATA and PCIe with gameplay would be negligible. With a capacity up to 4TB, however, you will have plenty of room to store your PC games.

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I have long been an AMD "fanboy," usually choosing that company's processors for my PC builds. Why? I prefer value to just throwing cash at raw performance, and with AMD I have always gotten plenty of power for my money. Historically, on the higher-end, Intel used to beat AMD regularly, but nowadays, things have really changed. AMD often destroys the competition across the board, as Intel has grown quite stale. Are Intel chips bad now? Not at all, but the innovation is coming from AMD. Facts.

And so, I was quite delighted when Linus Sebastian of YouTube channel Linus Tech Tips (of whom I am a big fan) saw the light and began embracing AMD lately (despite his love for Intel). It was very neat to see AMD Ryzen and Ryzen Threadripper processors being heralded by someone who is typically an Intel guy. Believe it or not, yet another Linus (no, not Linus van Pelt from Peanuts) is jumping to AMD, and this time it is probably a bigger deal than Sebastian's current change of allegiance. You see, Linus Torvalds, the father of Linux, is no longer using an Intel CPU on his main computer. Woah.

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Microsoft Solitaire is often remembered both fondly and with anger -- depending on the person. For many consumers, the game came pre-loaded on their computer and provided hours of fun. Unfortunately for some employers, the game had a negative impact on productivity over the years, as workers sometimes played the card game rather than do their jobs. Whether you love or hate Microsoft Solitaire, there is certainly one thing on which everyone can agree -- the game is iconic.

And that brings us to today, where Microsoft Solitaire is celebrating a huge milestone in 2020 -- a 30th Birthday! Yes, the digital card game has now been with us for three decades. To celebrate, the Windows-maker is asking everyone to play the free game today as a show of love for it.

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We recently told you about an exciting new drive by OWC -- the 4TB Aura P12 M.2 NVMe solid state drive. What made that SSD so interesting was its massive 4TB capacity, which was pushing the boundaries of what is possible with an M.2 drive.

Well, folks, a 4TB PCIe M.2 SSD is now "old hat." You see, Sabrent has a new drive that doubles that capacity! Yes, the company's Rocket Q NVMe PCIe M.2 2280 SSD will soon be available in a mind-blowing 8TB -- the first ever such consumer PCIe M.2 SSD to achieve that capacity.

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Have you ever seen someone with a dashcam in their vehicle and wondered why they have such a thing? No, they are not just obsessed with recording every aspect of their life -- a dashcam has actual benefits. For instance, if you are in a car accident, or someone with road-rage attacks you (it happens), the recording could provide evidence to show to the police or an insurance company. It's one of those things that you don't think you need -- until you do.

Today, Transcend launches a new dashcam that is chock-full of features and nice specifications. Called "DrivePro 10," it features a small and attractive body that should look quite stylish in your car, truck, or SUV. It comes with an adhesive mount for your windshield and is powered by micro USB -- a "lighter" adapter is included in the box. If you prefer, an optional accessory allows you to hardwire it directly to your vehicle's fuse box for power.

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There is no shortage of news about solid state drives these days, with many new models being announced from popular manufacturers like ADATA, Samsung, and Kingston, to name a few. This includes both SATA and PCIe-based internal SSDs, plus external models that interface by USB and Thunderbolt 3.

Today, Lexar unveils an all-new solid state drive for professionals, although home consumers can obviously use it as well. Called “NM700,” it is an M.2 2280 PCIe Gen3x4 NVMe SSD with impressive performance.

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One of my favorite films is World War Z. It is a very flawed movie, but I still enjoy it. In the film, Brad Pitt's character utilizes a satellite phone, which I just find to be extremely interesting. I am sure such a thing is expensive -- particularly the service contract -- but how cool is it to be able to communicate without the need of cellular?

And so, today, a new product caught my eye -- the SPOT X Jeep Edition 2-Way Satellite Messenger. While not a phone, it can send and receive text messages via satellite, which is rather neat. I expected such a product to be very expensive, and carry a high monthly service cost, but actually, it is surprisingly affordable. Not to mention, it looks to be quite rugged, and the Jeep branding -- while gimmicky -- actually looks pretty cool.

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Back in January, we told you about the Samsung T7 USB-C SSD — a fast and svelte portable storage drive. There are two variants of the drive — a “T7 Touch” model which has a fingerprint reader for decryption, and a non-touch “T7” model that uses a password for the same thing.

While the touch model has been available for purchase for some time, Samsung promised the non-touch variant would hit stores in Q2 of 2020, meaning April, May, or June. Well, the T7 USB-C SSD is thankfully meeting that promised deadline, as it is available beginning today!

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When it comes to data storage, drives can never be "fast enough" or have capacity that is "large enough." We need manufacturers to continually push boundaries, making sure that technology never stops evolving. For instance, SD cards have been in use for many years now, but they are far faster than when they first hit the scene.

And today, The SD Association announces that SD cards are about to get faster than ever, thanks to the SD 8.0 Specification. With SD Express technology, which is based on NVMe and PCIe, you will eventually be able to buy an SD card with speeds nearing 4GB/s!

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