Brian Fagioli

Things would be much easier if everyone in the world spoke the same language, but sadly, we do not. Inconvenience aside, I suppose there is beauty in each and every language — it might be boring to only have one.

Thankfully, thanks to translation technology, it is much easier to communicate with people that speak a different language nowadays. Google Translate, for instance, is a great service that can help people around the world speak with each other. Today, the service gets even better, as the search giant adds five new languages.

Continue reading →

If you are a Linux user, you are undoubtedly in heaven right now. Recently, there have been updates to some truly excellent distributions, such as MX Linux 19.1, Netrunner 20.01, elementary OS 5.1.2, and OpenMandriva Lx 4.1. While I suppose having to choose from so many distros can be seen as a negative for some, I say it's a damn good problem to have!

Guess what? Things are getting a bit more crowded! Today, one of the most popular Linux distributions gets a new version. Yes, Manjaro Linux 19.0 is finally here! Named "Kyria," it can be had with your choice of three desktop environments -- Xfce 4.14, KDE Plasma 5.17, and GNOME 3.34. While Xfce is highlighted by the developers, the others two DEs are arguably superior.

Continue reading →

Bluetooth speakers have largely replaced giant stereo systems in people's homes -- all you need to do is connect your smartphone and stream music to it. It is inexpensive, easy, and -- depending on the speaker -- sounds great. Long gone are the days of CD players, receivers, and giant floor speakers.

Ultimate Ears has long been making some of the best Bluetooth speakers on the market. Its offerings are loud, rugged, and most importantly, offer superior sound quality. Today, the company announces its newest such speaker. Called "HYPERBOOM," the large wireless speaker has an impressive 24 hours of battery life and an insane 150 feet of range. Ultimate Ears promises tons of volume and bass.

Continue reading →

Debian is a great Linux distribution in its own right, but also, it serves as a base for many other operating systems. For instance, the excellent Netrunner 20.01 that was just released. Even one of the best Linux distros, Ubuntu, is based on Debian. Then, we have operating systems based on Ubuntu, such as the wildly popular Linux Mint. Yes, in the Linux community, there are operating systems based on operating systems, that are based on other operating systems. Confusing, eh?

While Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu, there is actually a lesser known variant of the operating system called Linux Mint Debian Edition. As you can guess, LMDE cuts out the Ubuntu middleman and is based on Debian directly. Why do we need two versions of Mint? Well, you can think of LMDE as sort of a contingency plan -- it exists in case Ubuntu ever goes away. Consider it a back-up base, if you will. With that said, some people actually prefer LMDE, and they use it instead of vanilla Mint (yummy).

Continue reading →

Qi is amazing technology, allowing you to charge your smartphone by just placing it on a wireless charging pad/mat. Long gone are the days where you have to fumble around with a cable to charge your phone like a caveman. The thing is, it is hardly new -- it took Apple a while to add it to the iPhone, but the Palm Pre had it over a decade ago. Seriously, folks. Hell, there were even Nokia Lumia Windows Phones with wireless charging! And yet, despite the technology being fairly old in 2020, it is still very cool -- and finding its way onto more device types all the time.

For instance, today, HyperX launches a new gaming headset that features Qi wireless charging. Called "Cloud Flight S," you can drop the headset onto any Qi pad (such as this one) to charge it up, but HyperX is selling its own wireless charger called "Chargeplay Base." If you find yourself without such a charging pad, don't panic -- it can also charge with USB. The microphone can be easily detached for when you just want to listen to music, but also, this is great for privacy. While Cloud Flight S does have a mute option, being able to physically remove the microphone is the most foolproof way to avoid accidentally sharing too much during a gaming session.

Continue reading →

One of my favorite Linux distributions is Netrunner. If you aren't familiar, it is a Debian-based operating system that utilizes the KDE Plasma desktop environment. It is very polished and chock-full of excellent pre-installed applications such as LibreOffice, GIMP, Firefox, and Skype. All of this makes Netrunner a great choice for those switching from Windows, but also, it is a wonderful option for Linux experts too. Seriously, folks, you will be blown away by how exceptional it is -- one of the best.

Today, Netrunner 20.01 becomes available, and it is a very important milestone. You see, not only does it represent 10 years of development, but also, it is the twentieth major version of the operating system. And so, the Debian Buster (stable) 10.3-based distro is being dubbed "Twenty." Netrunner 20.01 is using KDE Plasma 5.14.5 and comes with a very special birthday wallpaper!

Continue reading →

USB flash drives are rather ho-hum these days. Sure, they are still very useful products, but for the most part, they are all the same. You plug the drive into your computer to read and write files, and that's all that it does. Well, TEAMGROUP has a new such drive that does much more than just deal with files. Called "T193 Stationery," this flash drive also serves as a protractor, ruler, and magnifying glass. It even has a built-in magnet for good measure -- you can use it to pick up dropped screws or paper clips with ease. And no, the magnet isn't strong enough to interfere with other storage devices.

In addition, the company is also releasing a new USB-C portable solid state drive. Called "PD1000," this drive is only about storage, sadly. There are no useful tools built into it, like the T193 has. With that said, it is both attractive and fast, putting it in similar territory with the ADATA SE7760 we told you about a couple days ago. The PD1000, however, is also very rugged, offering protection from water, dust, and drops.

Continue reading →

It's been almost two years since I cut the cord and switched to YouTube TV and I couldn't be happier. The picture quality and DVR remain top notch, while Google has consistently offered more and more channels -- some at no added charge, some at a premium. Since I initially subscribed, I now have additional channels that I watch regularly, such as Food Network, Discovery, and Tastemade. Believe it or not, I even find myself watching PBS on occasion. True, the price has gone up a bit from when I first subscribed, but look -- you get what you pay for, folks. YouTube TV is the best streaming television service and worth every penny. All of your devices, such as smartphones and tablets, become portable TV screens. It rules.

And now, the best is getting even better. You see, YouTube TV has made a deal with WarnerMedia to bring both HBO and Cinemax to the streaming service this spring. That is not all, either. The upcoming HBO Max video on demand service will eventually come to YouTube TV as well. If you didn't know, HBO Max will be the only place to stream wildly popular TV show Friends -- that is a big deal for a lot of people.

Continue reading →

AOC monitors are some of my favorite, because they provide great quality at an affordable price. If you are a gamer or just need a display for productivity, and you are on a budget, you need to give the company's products a look. Hell, even if you aren't limited by money, you should check these monitors out.

Today, AOC unveils its latest gaming monitor, and holy crap, it looks like a beauty. Called "AGON AG353UCG," this 35-inch gaming display is chock full of features. For instance, it supports VESA DisplayHDR 1000 and NVIDIA G-Sync Ultimate, plus has a refresh rate of 200Hz! The monitor has a very respectable resolution of 3440 x 1440 UWQHD and 2 ms GtG response time. And yes, it has a built-in USB hub and integrated RGB lighting on the back. There is a even a handy hook on the side to hold your gaming headset.

Continue reading →

With more and more people forgoing traditional desktops for laptops and tablets nowadays, consumers are having less of an opportunity to upgrade the internal components of their devices. Sadly, over time, having a non-upgradeable computer has become very commonplace. Hell, many components -- such as memory and storage -- are soldered into the damn board. Sigh. We largely have Apple to thank for that trend...

Thankfully, consumers can often turn to external components to expand the capability of their laptops and tablets. USB-C in particular has been a godsend for this -- there are many excellent adapters, dongles, and more that can take advantage of that tiny reversible port. If you need to add storage, for instance, there are many USB-C external drives on the market. Today, ADATA unveils its latest such portable solid state drive. Called "SE760," it is small, fast, and absolutely beautiful.

Continue reading →

Back in the day, video game companies targeted children and teens with their products. After all, they were the ones playing the games. Over time, however, gamers have grown up -- they are now parents, and in some cases, grandparents. And so, video game companies are wise to consider older folks with their marketing.

Today, Nintendo unveils its latest color Switch Lite, and your grandma is going to love it. You see, the color is coral -- something you see all over the place in Florida retirement communities. It is not uncommon to see coral-colored couches, lawn furniture, wallpaper, blouses, purses, shoes, and more. For whatever reason, older people (primarily women) in warm climates seem to love the color. And now, thanks to Nintendo, they can have a Coral Nintendo Switch Lite to make all of the people at the Bingo hall envious. Heck, they can play the upcoming Animal Crossing New Horizons while relaxing on the lanai!

Continue reading →

Back in 2018, HyperX released the Cloud MIX gaming headset. Since then, it has become a very popular option for gamers. Not only does it offer great audio quality, but it looks damn good too. Then, in 2019, the company launched a special rose gold variant.

Today, HyperX unveils yet another model of Cloud MIX gaming headset, but it is extremely limited. How rare is it? Well, only 19 of them are being made, and you can only get them by bidding in an auction. Even more exciting? This is a special model designed with JuJu Smith-Schuster -- wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yeah, these are going to be very popular with both gamers and NFL fans.

Continue reading →

No matter how great a computer is, if you have a bad mouse and/or keyboard, you are going to have a bad time. In the past, I have purchased cheap mice that offer phantom clicks and low-quality keyboards that don't register key-presses, and holy cow, it is extremely frustrating. I learned my lesson, and now only buy quality input devices.

As a fan of quality keyboards, it takes a lot to pique my interest, and yet, there is a new such product from a company named Kolude that has caused me some excitement. The "KD-K1 Keyhub all-in-one Keyboard," as it is called, is a combination keyboard and USB hub with an SD card reader, micro SD reader, and HDMI video port thrown in for good measure. In other words, it is sort of a docking station crammed into a thin keyboard. The keys and their layout look spectacular too. Not to mention, it is quite attractive -- looking right at home next to a Mac. It will work with Windows, desktop Linux, Android, and iOS too, however.

Continue reading →

Ever find yourself bored with the same ol' "mainstream" Linux-based operating system such as Ubuntu, Fedora, or Mint? Yeah, I get it. Sometimes you just want to dig a bit deeper and try out something a tad less known. It can be fun to distro-hop and try new things!

One such excellent Linux distribution is MX Linux. It has become wildly popular in the Linux community lately, but is still largely off the radar of those that aren't "in the know." Today, a new version of the operating system, MX Linux 19.1, becomes available for download. The Debian-based distro uses the Xfce desktop environment and comes pre-loaded with some great software, such as Firefox, LibreOffice, and more.

Continue reading →

When you are a technology enthusiast, it is easy to get wooed by the latest and greatest tech products. Sure, it is exciting to see computer components offering the top performance, but let us not forget, most folks do not need (nor can they afford) the best. And you know what? That's fine. Bragging rights aside, there are probably many system builders that waste money on performance they really don't need.

Today, PATRIOT launches a new solid state drive that should appeal to those that are willing to spend a bit of money to get better performance, but don't have enough cash for top-of-the-line. Called "P300," this M.2 PCIe Gen3 x4 SSD isn't the fastest such drive on the market, but it will be a significant upgrade to those still using SATA-based drives. This SSD uses the Phison E13T Series controller, and best of all, it is very affordable -- the starting MSRP is below $65. You know what, though? You can actually score one now for less than 50 bucks. Seriously.

Continue reading →