Brian Fagioli

System76 sells a lot of different types of computers, including desktops, laptops, and servers -- all come pre-loaded with either Ubuntu or the Ubuntu-based Pop!_OS Linux distributions. While the company's hand-crafted Thelio desktops are probably its most exciting machines, the majority of consumers are probably better served by a laptop. Let's be honest, while hardcore power users and gamers will certainly want a desktop, notebooks are more functional for the average computer user, as it allows them to easily work in different locations.

With all of that said, System76 has several laptop models, ranging from under $1,000 for, say, the fairly basic "Galago Pro," to well over $2,000 for the high-end "Adder WS" portable workstation. In other words, there are many models to meet the needs of many -- including both budget and power perspectives.

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The COVID-19 Coronavirus is undoubtedly a bad thing. However, there are some good things to come from the tragedy. Companies are stepping up to accommodate the needs of customers. For instance, some insurance companies are temporarily not canceling policies for non-payment, while some restaurants are offering free food delivery. From an entertainment perspective, Disney+ released Frozen 2 early, while some streaming services such as Sling TV, are offering some totally free content.

Today, Google and T-Mobile announce a really nice promotion to help some folks bored at home in self-isolation due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Starting tomorrow, T-Mobile customers can score two free months of YouTube Premium. This is a part of the carrier's famed "T-Mobile Tuesdays" where it provides weekly perks to its customers. YouTube Premium not only includes an ad-free YouTube experience, but access to the YouTube Music streaming service too. Yes, while you are stuck indoors due to the COVID-19 virus, you can enjoy truly unlimited music!

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For most home consumers, when you need to read a card from your camera, you just insert it into the reader on your laptop. This is typically an SD card reader, although many newer computers are doing away with them. Instead, you must purchase a USB reader -- they are plentiful on sites like Amazon, and very inexpensive too. But what if you are a professional photographer? Well, then -- you might not be using SD card at all. Instead, you could be using CFexpress or XQD.

The company ProGrade Digital has a new card reader that is sure to excite professional photographers. The "PG04," as it is called reads both CFexpress and XQD cards using the super-fast Thunderbolt 3 connection. For those not yet using TB3, the company also releases the PG05.5 -- a USB-C reader for both CFexpress and SDXC.

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Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) 4 "Debbie" has finally exited Beta and is ready for download. Exciting stuff, right? I suppose. The thing is, you probably don't want it.

Don't get me wrong, LMDE isn't really a bad operating system, but it isn't intended for widespread use. Most people should use "regular" Linux Mint, which is based on Ubuntu. This Debian variant is really just a backup distribution (a contingency plan) in case Canonical ever stops developing Ubuntu -- something that hopefully won't happen anytime soon. With all of that said, some people do run LMDE as their daily operating system for some reason.

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Some people love Windows, while others prefer Mac. There are even some wacky folks (such as yours truly) that enjoy using Linux. Hey, you should use whatever makes you happy. Believe it or not, macOS is quite good -- it is a joy to use and absolutely beautiful. Of course, the big problem with Apple computers -- other than their notoriously unreliable keyboards, lately -- is they are wildly expensive. And so, consumers that desire owning a Mac are often unable to realize that dream. True, there is the affordable Mac mini, but it hasn't received a meaningful update since 2018. The base model mini is woefully under-powered too.

Well, Apple has finally done something right with the MacBook line. You see, the company has released the all-new MacBook Air (2020) and it seems to be rather impressive. Long gone is the much-maligned butterfly keyboard, as this new Mac uses traditional scissor switches for the keys -- the same as the 16-inch MacBook Pro. In other words, the keyboard should prove to be more reliable and durable. Best of all, the price starts at a mere $999 ($899 with an education discount -- wink, wink), making it the new "Everyman's Mac." That price gets you an impossibly thin laptop with an enormous trackpad, T2 Security Chip, Touch ID, Thunderbolt 3, more storage capacity (NVMe SSD starting at 256GB), speedy 3733MHz LPDDR4X RAM, and of course, Apple's legendary Retina display.

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Earlier today, Apple shocked the world with its newest iPad Pro. While that tablet is very nice, it was an accessory for it that caused true excitement. You see, the all new Magic Keyboard has an integrated trackpad, meaning the iPad can do double duty as a tablet and a laptop. It's like a Microsoft Surface, only much better. Unfortunately, both the new iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard are quite expensive, making the combo nothing more than a dream for many consumers.

Thankfully, this trackpad support is not limited to any specific iPad, meaning it can work with a non-Pro model too. In fact, any iPad that gets the upgrade to iPadOS 13.4 will also get the compatibility. If you are someone like me that owns a meager 7th generation iPad (which will get iPadOS 13.4), I have some really great news -- Logitech has announced a keyboard case with trackpad that works with the lower-end Apple tablet. Called "Combo Touch Case," it isn't just compatible with the the 7th-gen iPad -- there is also a model for the older iPad Pro 10.5 and the 3rd-gen iPad Air. The keyboard is detachable too, offering a more comfortable experience when using the iPad as a tablet. There is even a holder for the first-generation iPad Pencil. Best of all, it will protect against drops and bumps.

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Today, Apple announced the death of the Mac. Well, sort of. Actually, the company released an all-new iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard with a trackpad. In other words, the iPad is finally an official laptop. No longer must you touch the screen when using a keyboard -- you now have an official trackpad that can manipulate the interface with an on-screen pointer.  Yes, iPad has finally reached its apex, becoming the thing consumers have been clamoring for. Let's be honest, most home consumers would be better served by an iPad Pro and this new keyboard than they would with a Mac.

Keyboard and trackpad aside, this looks to be the best iPad ever. Apple promises that the A12Z Bionic chip is so powerful, that the new iPad pro is actually faster than most Windows laptops! The  Liquid Retina display can achieve an insane 120 Hz refresh -- adjustable to conserve battery. It even gains an ultra-wide camera and five studio-grade microphones, making the iPad pro an even better tool for photographers and other creators. Most exciting, however, is the new LiDAR Scanner.

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Desktops have largely fallen out of favor with home consumers, as they instead opt for laptops. Really, it isn't hard to see why this is -- a desktop PC often takes up a lot of room in a home, as it usually requires its own dedicated desk. Not to mention, you then have to add a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. You are then tethered to one place, unable to realistically work outdoors or at a coffee shop.

And yet, despite all the benefits a notebook has over a desktop, many people -- including yours truly -- prefers them. If you like the idea of a desktop, but prefer one that is very small (and won't take up a lot of space), there are plenty of options such as Intel NUC and Apple Mac mini. Today, we get another diminutive desktop option, but this one is designed for Linux and privacy. Yes, Purism is finally launching a tiny desktop, and it will come pre-installed with the Debian-based PureOS. Called "Librem Mini," the cute bugger has 4 USB-A ports on the front, along with a 3.5mm audio jack, and the power button. On the rear, there are two more USB-A ports, a single USB-C port, Ethernet, HDMI, DisplayPort, and the power port.

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PCIe-based NVMe solid state drives are pretty common in consumer devices these days. Seagate, however, would like to bring them to another area -- network attached storage for business. You see, today, the company unveils the all-new IronWolf 510 -- a PCIe Gen3 M.2 NVMe NAS SSD. Performance is quite respectable, with a top read speed of up to 3,150 MB/s and a top write speed of up to 1,000 MB/s (depending on capacity, of course).

But what exactly makes the drive a "NAS SSD" anyway? Is that just marketing? Actually, no. The IronWolf 510 provides higher endurance and reliability than a normal such SSD -- ideal for network attached storage. You even get a limited five-year warranty. While the drive is designed for both businesses and professionals in a network attached storage application, but they can obviously work for other things too.

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Fedora is one of the best Linux distributions on the planet, but it doesn't always get its due. It isn't flashy or new, instead hanging its hat (pun intended) on being stable and reliable. That is why many Linux users try other distributions, only to find themselves back at home with Fedora. Fans of the GNOME in particular flock to Fedora, as the operating system is one of the best ways to experience that desktop environment.

Today, Fedora 32 Beta becomes available for testing, and it is very exciting. It comes with GNOME 3.36 -- the lastest and greatest version of the desktop environment, You can read more about GNOME 3.36 here. If you aren't a fan of GNOME, that is OK -- you can instead opt for KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, MATE, and more. There is even a special ARM variant of Fedora 32 that will work with Raspberry Pi devices.

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Earlier today, Microsoft revealed a ton of new information about its upcoming new game console -- the terribly named Xbox Series X. This is just three months after the game system was first unveiled to the world. Despite its terrible name, the Xbox Series X is looking to be an incredibly powerful console. The AMD-powered system features 12 Teraflops of power, 4K gaming, and an insane 16GB of GDDR6 memory.

The Xbox Series X will come with a super-fast 1TB SSD too, which sounds like a lot of capacity, but it really isn't. Look, with more and more people downloading games and forgoing optical disks, a terabyte of storage will fill up very quickly. Thankfully, Xbox Series X has a special storage expansion port on the rear that will allow owners to easily increase capacity without opening up the device. Best of all, this port will apparently allow the same speed as the internal drive. Unfortunately, however, Microsoft has opted for a proprietary port -- one that will only work with this console.

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The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is wreaking havoc across the globe, infecting people on all continents with the exception of Antarctica. Whether or not the disease is serious or not seems to depend on the infected's age and other underlying medical conditions, but still, people are hoarding food and supplies as if it were the apocalypse.

So, why are people panicking? Well, there are many reasons, but a big one is misinformation. Sadly, the internet is full of fake data and mistruths, causing people to worry. Since so much misleading information is on social media, people have no idea where to turn for reliable data. Microsoft is hoping to provide truthful information with an all-new Bing Coronavirus (COVID-19) Tracker.

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As of now, I don't have any children of my own, but from what some parents have told me, children can be wildly annoying. People keep on reproducing, however, so there must be some unseen benefit to having them. All kidding aside, I am sure most parents love and enjoy their kids, but let's be honest, it can be tedious for an adult to have to spend an extended amount of time with a child. That's why many parents love the ability to drop the kids off at school -- it gives them a break. There's nothing wrong with wanting some adult time either.

Unfortunately, due to the damn COVID-19 coronavirus, many schools are closed and parents are being asked to work from home. This is the perfect storm for parents to be annoyed by their bored children. Thankfully, traditional television, DVDs, and streaming services can keep the little ones quiet. OK, fine, to a lesser extent, I suppose reading books can help too. Knowing the pain of these parents, The Walt Disney Company is doing something extraordinary -- releasing Frozen 2 to the Disney+ streaming service three months early.

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Have you ever been to an Apple retail store? They are very hip and fun -- a great way to get a hands-on experience with a product before buying it. Unfortunately, Apple retail stores are also wildly disgusting. Look, it is in my experience that most people in these stores aren't actually buying anything, or planning to make a purchase, but instead, they are killing time by playing with things. Germs can have a field day at the Apple Store!

In particular, Apple stores inside of shopping malls are often places parents drop their kids to play while they shop. Apple doesn't ban food either, so it is not uncommon to see people eating Auntie Anne's Pretzels with their hands and then touching iPhone screens. The spread of germs in an Apple retail store is a legitimate concern.

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Video doorbells are some of the best examples of how the "connected home" can be truly beneficial. These doorbells can alert you to both visitors and intruders -- plus package deliveries and package thieves. Best of all, many models allow you to interact remotely, giving someone at your door the illusion you are home. Ultimately, they are ideal for both convenience and security.

Unfortunately, not all models are created equally. Amazon's "Ring" brand is undeniably the most popular video doorbell on the market, but sadly, it is also the most untrustworthy. You see, it has been found that not only does Ring have terrible security and privacy practices, but Amazon also has many deals with law enforcement. By purchasing a Ring, you are essentially helping turn your neighborhood into a police state.

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