Brian Fagioli

The smart home concept is one of the best uses of modern technology. Not only do these home devices make your life easier, but they can make you and your family safer too. For instance, thanks to Wi-Fi cameras, smart smoke detectors, and internet-connected alarm systems, you can be alerted to danger.

Video doorbells are all the rage these days, and owning one is an essential part of any smart home strategy. Unfortunately, the most popular model -- Ring by Amazon -- has close ties with law enforcement, making it hard to trust from a privacy perspective. Luckily, today, we are getting yet another option -- The Arlo Video Doorbell. Arlo home cameras are quite popular, and it is good to see a doorbell being added to its product lineup.

Continue reading →

For most people, playing a video game is as easy as picking up a controller. Unfortunately, there are some folks out there that cannot hold a typical gamepad due to disability. For a long time, people with disabilities were forced to either not play video games or struggle with what was available.

These days, however, the gaming market is more thoughtful regarding the less-able. A great example of this is Microsoft's Xbox Adaptive Controller -- a special device designed to make gaming a reality for disabled people. Today, Logitech G is taking things further with its Adaptive Gaming Kit -- a brilliant add-on to Microsoft's offering. For this new product, Logitech even consulted with AbleGamers -- a charity focused on inclusion in gaming.

Continue reading →

Debian is a great Linux distribution in its own right, but also, it serves as a solid base for many other distros. That's why when a new version of Debian is released, it has a huge impact across the Linux community.

Today, you can download the newest version of Debian 10 "Buster." Debian 10.2 is the latest and greatest, but it is hardly exciting. To be fair though, Debian point releases shouldn't really be seen as a source for new features. Instead, you should expect security updates and bugfixes. And this time, with version 10.2, we get many of them. In addition, Firefox ESR (Extended Support Release) is being dropped from the ARMEL variant of Debian, but that really shouldn't have any impact on desktop users.

Continue reading →

If you want a basic Linux desktop, you can never go wrong with an all Intel-based mini computer -- such as that company's own NUC line. Things typically work without issue -- an Intel Wi-Fi card, for instance, shouldn't give you any headaches on Linux.

Intel is not the only game in town, however. Other companies manufacture and sell mini desktop computers too. Today, MSI unveils its latest, and it looks like a real winner. Called "Cubi 5," it comes with 10th gen Intel Comet Lake processors, USB-C, and supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax).

Continue reading →

Earlier today, we shared that the all-new Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition desktop would be equipped with HyperX Fury memory. But wait -- what exactly is this new computer? It is actually quite monumental. You see, after a long hiatus, Dell's gaming brand, Alienware, is once again using AMD processors! AMD is definitely making big moves these days, as it is finally being used by Microsoft with Surface Laptop too. Intel must be worried, but I digress.

The Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition desktop can be configured with a new 3rd generation AMD Ryzen processor, starting at the AMD Ryzen 5 3500 and going all the way up to the monster Ryzen 9 3950X. The HyperX memory starts at just 8GB running at 2666MHz, but you can bump that up to a max of 64GB at 3200MHz. Both AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards are available too, with the top model being the  GeForce RTX 2080 Ti with 11GB of GDDR6. Storage ranges from 512GB to 2TB.

Continue reading →

There are two types of PC gamers -- those that build their own computers and those that buy them pre-built. Neither approach is "better," but still, I typically build my own. Why? Well, I like to make sure that I am getting quality components. For instance, I don't want to get stuck with low quality RAM, storage, or a power supply.

Dell's Alienware line of computers are usually comprised of quality components, and today, we learn that its new Aurora Ryzen Edition gaming desktops will have superior memory. You see, these new computers will use high-end HyperX FURY DDR4 RAM. These are memory modules that in-the-know system builders would choose.

Continue reading →

Traveling internationally can be a very fun experience, but also, it can be quite scary. When you don't speak the local language, you can have anxiety regarding communicating with people when you need help -- such as getting directions. Thankfully, smartphones have made foreign travel much easier thanks to both translation and navigation apps.

Google makes two of the best such solutions -- Google Maps and Google Translate. Today, the search giant is increasing their interoperability. Now, when you tap on a location in Google Maps, the translation software can audibly say what that location is -- in the local language. As an example, you can hop into a taxi and tap on where you want to go (a restaurant, hotel, etc.) and your smartphone will say it audibly in the driver's language so he/she knows where to go. Very cool.

Continue reading →

Walmart stores are fairly ubiquitous in the USA. The retailer sells pretty much everything too. For instance, in one outing, you can buy tires, a gallon of milk, and a pair of shoes. Are the stores the most clean or well organized? No, not at all. In fact, a trip to Walmart can feel like a journey to hell, but overall, they provide a passable shopping experience.

Believe it or not, some people do their food shopping at Walmart too, as many of the stores have full grocery sections, including fresh produce. While in Florida on vacation earlier this year, I even encountered a dedicated Walmart grocery store --- it only sold food. Walmart even lets you do your grocery shopping online (pickup or delivery), including by voice, thanks to its Voice Order feature. To make this feature better, Walmart has now added Siri support. Yes, you can use the voice assistant on your Apple device to add items to your online Walmart grocery cart.

Continue reading →

PC gamers used to turn their noses up at laptops, as they weren't capable of playing top-tier games. While most gamers still prefer desktops -- which are more powerful -- there are notebooks that are capable of running modern PC games. Thanks to Thunderbolt 3, laptop owners can even expand their machines with high-end devices, such as PCIe-based storage and even graphics cards.

Today, Seagate unveils two new products that laptop gamers will want to keep an eye on -- the FireCuda Thunderbolt 3 Gaming Dock and FireCuda 520 PCIe 4.0 SSD. What is a gaming dock? Well, it is your typical TB3 docking station, but also, it houses a 4TB HDD for storing your games. It even features adjustable RGB lighting -- something many gamers love. As an added bonus, it also has a PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD expansion slot, but it is only Gen3.

Continue reading →

Portable solid state drives are great, as they are fast and very reliable since they have no moving parts. They are particularly useful for content creators, as they often have a ton of media that they need to access quickly. Currently, the best option for those wanting fast external storage is an NVMe drive connected with Thunderbolt 3. If you own a computer with TB3 from manufacturers such as Apple, Dynabook, or Dell, you should absolutely try and get an external SSD that can maximally utilize it.

Today, Plugable is launching such a drive, and it is quite incredible. The drive comes in two capacities -- 1TB and 2TB -- and offers insane read and write speeds. How fast is it? It is rated as being able to exceed 2800 MB/s read and 1800 MB/s write. I've been testing the 2TB variant of the drive lately, and I can confirm that it is fast as heck -- but that's not all.

Continue reading →

The Nintendo 64 is one of the greatest game consoles of all time. I remember getting one at launch as a kid after trying (and being blown away by) Super Mario 64 at Toys R Us. Believe it or not, despite ultimately becoming a successful game system, it launched with just two games in the USA. No, that is not a typo -- it literally had a pair of games at launch. There was the aforementioned Mario game, plus Pilotwings 64. Over time, there were many classic games released for the N64, but the sparse launch library was rather shocking.

That's why today's announcement by Google that its Stadia streaming game service will "only" have a dozen games at launch (less than previously promised) doesn't disappoint me. Quite frankly, 12 launch titles is actually quite respectable. Not to mention, these are high-quality games too -- there is seemingly no filler to pad the list. With that said, three of the titles are from the Tomb Raider franchise.

Continue reading →

Apple Watch is extremely popular with iPhone users, so you might think that they all also own Apple TV for their streaming needs. Well, while I am sure many do, not all iPhone users are heavily invested in Apple's ecosystem -- it can be quite the expensive affair. For instance, Mac computers are much more expensive than Windows machines with similar specifications. Also, the Apple TV media box is much costlier than Amazon Fire TV or Roku. In other words, there are iPhone users that also own Apple Watch, but use non-Apple devices in their lives too.

If you are an Apple Watch user that also owns a Roku device, I have great news. Starting today, you can control your media box using the wearable on your wrist. Yes, the Apple Watch can effectively be turned into a remote control for interacting with Roku.

Continue reading →

Every once in a while, a computer component is released that turns the PC industry on its head. Today, we experienced such an event with the official unveiling of AMD's latest and greatest desktop processors -- the 3rd Gen Ryzen Threadripper chips. The godlike multi-core processors are designed to give extreme processing power to enthusiasts and professionals. There are two model from which to choose-- the 24-core Ryzen Threadripper 3960X and the insane 32-core 3970X. And yes, they are wildly expensive -- as they should be.

Of course, a new chip generation often means a new platform too, and today, AMD is also unveiling TRX40. There are already Socket sTRX4 motherboards planned from companies like ASUS, ASRock, Gigabyte, and MSI. These boards will all be offering PCIe 4.0, meaning you can take advantage of the latest blazing fast solid state drives. You can even equip your Threadripper 3 build with Quad-Channel DDR4 memory! This is what dreams are made of, folks...

Continue reading →

Apple's iPads are all wonderful devices. Whether you buy an iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, or iPad Pro, you are guaranteed a top-notch tablet experience. Believe it or not, they can even serve as decent makeshift laptops too -- when you add a keyboard case. This is particularly true nowadays as Apple has forked iOS into iPadOS for its tablets. The operating system is now better focused for both the tablet and laptop experiences. iPadOS 13 even added rudimentary mouse support, but it really isn't a fully matured option -- yet.

If you need a keyboard case for your iPad, you can always go with Apple's own option, but in-the-know consumers will likely turn to another company -- Logitech. Yes, that company's keyboard case offerings, including the Slim Folio, have historically been very well received. Today, Logitech launches that popular product for the 3rd generation of iPad Air.

Continue reading →

If you are a computer enthusiast, you likely have a solid state drive in your computer, but if it a SATA variant, you are truly missing out. PCI Express-based NVMe SSDs are far faster, and if your PC can accommodate such a storage drive, it is well worth the upgrade. Prices on these drives have dropped significantly, making them a "no-brainer" for those that crave speed and top performance.

Today, ADATA launches its latest such drive. The unimaginatively named "IM2P33E8," as it is called, is mostly designed for harsh industrial applications, but it can, of course, be used in consumer laptops and desktops as well. Since it is a PCIe Gen3 x4 drive, it is insanely fast.

Continue reading →