Brian Fagioli

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

One of the best things about Linux is having access to all the wonderful desktop environments (DEs). With Linux, you can often customize things to your heart's content, switching environments entirely if you prefer. Conversely, with Windows 10, for example, there is essentially just one user interface. Don't like it? Sucks to be you! If you run Windows, it is Microsoft's way or the highway. True, there is value in having all users sharing one experience, but ultimately, choice will always reign supreme.

Despite there being many great desktop environments available on Linux, only one can be the best. Consistently, for many years now, GNOME has been the greatest DE, and that is still true now. What makes it so wonderful? Well, GNOME 3.x is ideal for  productivity, allowing the user to focus on the task at hand. Not to mention, it is beautiful and simple -- it is a no-nonsense computing experience. There's a reason both Ubuntu and Fedora use GNOME as their default environment.

Continue reading →

Qi wireless charging is one of the best inventions ever -- from a consumer electronics perspective, at least. True, it's no penicillin or automobile, but it has been a godsend for smartphone users. No longer do you have to fiddle about with cables like early man. Instead, you can live like you are in the year 3020 and charge up your devices by placing them atop a pad. Hell, it's not just smartphones using this technology, but things like headsets and keyboards too! Yes, it seems like Qi is being added to everything these days, and I couldn't be more pleased.

Today, Logitech is expanding it Qi wireless charging game with a trio of new "POWERED" chargers. Evolving from the original model, this line of chargers is designed to focus on simplicity and excellence. In other words, not only do they charge your devices, but they will look good while doing it. After all, this is Logitech we are talking about -- its accessories are always excellent. In fact, the company is calling these chargers "magical."

Continue reading →

Is the Coronavirus (COVID-19) a big deal? I suppose so. Look, any virus should be taken seriously. I mean, people are dying from it. With that said, it isn't exactly Ebola -- for most folks, contracting it will result in a mild sickness. Hell, some will show no symptoms at all. There is certainly no need to fight fellow shoppers for toilet paper, water, and Purell. Believe it or not, humanity will ultimately defeat COVID-19, as we have with every other Coronavirus before it. The world is not ending, people.

With all of that said, we should absolutely approach COVID-19 in a very serious and scientific way, but sadly, the USA Government has severely botched the response. President Trump's dangerous mistruths and misleading statements have contributed to panic-shopping, the spread of false information, and a lack of testing for the disease. Thankfully, as a capitalist country, the USA can turn to the private sector to save the day. For example, Microsoft is generously pledging $1 million to the Puget Sound COVID-19 Response Fund. But that's not all. The Surface-maker will additionally match all employee donations to that fund.

Continue reading →

Want to know a secret? I have never cleaned my iPhone or iPad. Gross, right? Even more nauseating, I often use them both while sitting on the toilet! Hey, don't blame me for this behavior -- Apple caused it. For the longest time (years), the company never suggested using disinfectant wipes on its products. At the Apple store, I had countless "geniuses" tell me that alcohol would ruin the displays. And so, I just lived with the germs.

With the Coronavirus (COVID-19) dominating the news, however, people are starting to take stock in their hygiene practices. Suddenly, as we all wash our hands more frequently and douse ourselves in Purell, germ-ridden devices become a much more important topic. Thankfully, starting today, Apple has finally given us the green light to use disinfectant wipes to clean the Coronavirus (COVID-19) off the iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers.

Continue reading →

Holi, the "festival of colors", is a hugely popular event in India that signifies the triumph of good over evil and heralds the arrival of spring. It's when Hindus throw colorful paint at each other.

Today marks the start of the Holi Festival, and to celebrate it, Google has launched a new Easter Egg in its search. Accessing it is pretty easy too. Best of all, it is very fun.

Continue reading →