Brian Fagioli

When amateurs decide they want to create music, vlogs, podcasts, or some other form of media, there is often a product they buy first -- a Blue Yeti microphone. Creators tend to gravitate towards the professional-grade Yeti, and it is not hard to see why -- it is well made, performs well, and looks super cool. Even game streamers on services like Twitch use Yeti microphones. Hell, I have seen them in business conference rooms.

Today, Blue -- a Logitech company -- launches its latest and greatest USB microphone. Called "Yeti X," it is designed for vlogging, gaming, podcasting, music creation, and more. While Blue says this microphone is for professionals, it can, of course, be used by amateurs too.

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Fedora may not be the flashiest or most exciting Linux distribution, but it is very reliable. You can always depend on the operating system to be rock solid and very modern. Best of all, it focuses on true open source ideology -- there are no non-free packages by default. I tend to "distro hop" out of curiosity, but no matter what, I always find my way back to Fedora.

Fedora 31 is due later this year, but first, there needs to be some beta testing. And so, today, Fedora 31 Beta is made available for download. Unfortunately, details surrounding version 31 are a bit sparse. With that said, one big change involves Fedora users with ARM 64-based single board computers, such as a Raspberry Pi. Those folks will get access to an additional desktop spin -- the lightweight Xfce.

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Do you play those hardcore massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG) like World of Warcraft? If so, you have probably encountered those wild-looking mice with multiple thumb buttons. These types of mice are great, because you can customize the many buttons to perform various functions of the game. This can be used for any game, really, including, say, a first person shooter -- you can program macros or key-presses into the buttons, essentially giving you an edge.

Today, Logitech unveils its latest such mouse, and it is a beast. Called "G604," we have been testing it in the BetaNews labs with great success. It has both Bluetooth and LIGHTSPEED for connectivity, with the latter utilizing a USB-A dongle. You can then switch between the two by pressing a button -- helpful for working with two computers or operating systems.

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Huawei makes some of the best laptops around -- the company actually puts Apple's design team to shame. This focus on elegance cannot be said for many other Windows PC manufacturers, as they often just set their sights on cutting corners to keep prices down.

And that is why Donald Trump's xenophobic attacks on Huawei are so tragic. Huawei's computers and smartphones are wonderful, but with uncertainty about access to Windows and proper Android (with Google apps), consumers are correct to be a bit concerned.

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There are many Linux desktop environments from which to choose -- some are good, others are bad, but only one can be best -- GNOME. Whether you choose Ubuntu, Fedora, Manjaro, or some other different Linux distribution, GNOME will provide you with a superior user experience. Not only is it ideal for productivity, but GNOME is quite pretty too. And yes, there are plenty of customization options. Not to mention, the excellent stock GNOME apps create a very cohesive experience overall.

Today, GNOME 3.34 is finally released. Code-named "Thessaloniki," the newest version of the desktop environment is chock full of new features, bug fixes, visual improvements, and updated apps. One of the most apparent changes to users will be the ability to group icons into folders using drag-and-drop within the application overview -- very cool.

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Pandora is a popular music streaming service that aims to function as sort of a personalized radio station for the listener. There are different tiers of service, including a free option -- a big reason for its popularity. There are also paid tiers, starting at just $4.99.

Today, Pandora releases a new desktop app for Windows 10. This follows the release of the app for Apple macOS, which has been available since May of 2019. This new app for Windows is being offered exclusively from the Microsoft Store, so Windows 7 users, for example, cannot experience it fully. Pandora specifically says it is a Windows 10-only affair. Of course, all platforms can access Pandora thanks to the web player -- something Apple Music is currently beta testing.

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Manjaro may have lofty goals of becoming a successful company, but let's be honest -- users of the Linux-based operating system don't really care about that. Don't get me wrong, I am sure most members of the Linux community are rooting for the newly-formed company's success, but they are probably more interested in the excellent operating system itself.

Today, Manjaro Linux 18.1.0 "Juhraya" finally becomes available for download, and it isn't without some controversy. You see, rather than just offer up LibreOffice like most distributions, Juhraya offers an alternative choice at installation -- FreeOffice.

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There are essentially two types of overclocks -- one is where it is done for actual performance gains, while the other is just for bragging rights. While the former is obviously more useful, insane overclocks that exist just to prove it is possible are still very fun.

Today, G.SKILL announces an insane DDR4 memory overclock that reaches a major milestone -- greater than 6GHz speed! To be more specific, a famous overclocker and MSI engineer named "Toppc" was able to successfully boot into Windows with RAM running at 6016.8MHz! This shatters the previous record of 5902MHz set by HyperX.

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Apple's iPad changed the world in 2010, but since then, tablets have fallen a bit out of favor with consumers. Google abandoned the tablet hardware business entirely, relying on manufacturers such as Samsung and Huawei to make slabs running Android. While iPad remains the best tablet experience, and Apple seems committed to the iPadOS operating system, even that device is not the juggernaut it once was. Many consumers seem totally satisfied using their smartphone.

Still, iPad has plenty of fans, including those that try to use the Pro model as a makeshift laptop with a keyboard attachment. Other people, such as yours truly, only utilize iPad for media consumption. The lower-cost standard 9.7-inch iPad more than meets those media-focused needs. Today, Apple unveils the 7th-generation of the "regular" iPad, and it is better than ever.

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How great is USB-C? Long gone are the days of incorrectly plugging in your devices, as the Type-C connector is reversible. Not to mention, it is smaller and more aesthetically pleasing than USB-A. Slowly but surely, the Type-C connection it is showing up on more and more devices, with USB-A being increasingly omitted.

And so, it is essential that device and accessory makers utilize USB-C. For example, ADATA has a new USB-C SSD which uses the USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface. Called "SE800," it is essentially an upgrade to the company's excellent SE730H. Not only is this new model insanely fast, but it is quite rugged too. It's also very small, making it easy to toss into a bag or your pocket. And if your computer doesn't have USB-C, don't worry -- a USB-A cable is included in the box.

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Some people may think a company focused on Linux can never be successful. That’s false thinking, actually. True, some people use Linux as just a hobby, but it is so much more than that. As Red Hat shows us, Linux can be a billion dollar business. Plus, System76, for example, has been selling personal computers running Linux for many years. So, yeah, a Linux-focused company can be a success.

Of course, that does not mean a Linux-focused company is guaranteed to be a success. Case in point, today, popular Linux distribution Manjaro announces that it has formed a limited partnership business entity. The question, however, is whether or not creating such a company is a good idea.

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MX Linux is apparently becoming increasingly more popular these days, and I am not really sure why. Lately, I have been testing out the open source operating system, and I simply don't understand the hype.

Xfce, which MX uses, remains one of the worst desktop environment for end users -- it is lightweight, but that aside, it offers nothing over the superior GNOME or KDE. If you own a HiDPI monitor (which more and more people have), Xfce remains a terrible experience.

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The two biggest technologies for wireless home networking right now are mesh and Wi-Fi 6 (also known as 802.11ax). Mesh has been around for a while now, but Wi-Fi 6 is still relatively new -- there simply aren't many 802.11ax clients out there. Over the next year or so, however, you will start to see the new wireless standard show up in more and more consumer devices, such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, and more. Yes, Wi-Fi 6 is the future.

Sadly, Wi-Fi 6 routers are still quite costly, making them unachievable for many consumers. Today, NETGEAR unveils a new 802.11ax product that doesn't buck that trend at all. In fact, the new Orbi Wi-Fi 6 Mesh System (model: RBK852) amplifies pricing even more. How much will it cost to have both Wi-Fi 6 and mesh from NETGEAR? This attractive two-access-point system will run you $700!

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Apple Music is the best streaming music service. Yes, it is better than Spotify. Apple's offering has a superior interface and better new music discovery. Hell, I recently discovered the best album of the year on Apple Music -- Blowing on a Marshmallow in Perpetuity by 0 Stars. Seriously, check it out, y'all.

Unfortunately, Apple Music doesn't work on traditional Linux distributions like Ubuntu or Fedora. It does, however, work on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Chromebook users can take advantage of the Apple Music Android app from the Play Store. Traditional Linux users, however, are sadly left out of the party.

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Toshiba laptops are wonderful. Well, they used to be at least. You see, Toshiba essentially sold its US laptop business to Sharp, who then renamed it to Dynabook. So, technically, Toshiba laptops no longer exist, but they live on under the Dynabook branding.

Dynabook is marching forward with new laptops, and today, it announces an absolute stunner. Called "Tecra X50-F," the business-class Windows 10 Pro notebook features a 15.6-inch screen in an incredibly thin and light package -- 17.6mm thickness and weighing just 3.13 pounds. The chassis is made of durable magnesium, and it is MIL-STD-810G rated. X50 has very modern features too, such as two Thunderbolt 3 ports and Wi-Fi 6 (also known as 802.11ax). My favorite aspect, however, is the convenient privacy cover for the webcam! Sometimes it's the little things, folks...

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