Brian Fagioli

I'm a cord-cutter and long gone are the days of me paying the cable company for television -- including the insane cable box rental fees. Instead, I utilize streaming services using my own hardware. In my home, Apple TV is what is used, but to be honest, I am souring on it. Not only is Apple TV overpriced, but the remote control is terrible. Lately, I have been considering a move to Roku instead -- I like the affordability of the hardware, but also, the remote works properly -- it isn't finicky and fragile like Apple's.

Today, Roku may have convinced me to finally make the switch. You see, the company plans to release what it calls the "Roku Smart Soundbar." It is essentially a traditional soundbar with a Roku media box built in. Believe it or not, it is priced the same as a base-model Apple TV 4K! In addition, Roku will sell an optional wireless subwoofer -- perfect for those that love bass.

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Logitech makes great hardware, but understandably, its products aren't "one size fits all." For instance, a gamer might have different needs than a business person. Its MX Master wireless mice are really popular with some, but I personally don't really like them. Why? Well, my hands are fairly small, and I prefer a more simplistic approach -- I want the mouse to essentially disappear and become an extension of my arm. Sadly, the MX Master mice are too large and busy to do that -- for me, at least.

For the many consumers that love the MX Master mice, however, I have great news -- the third generation launches today. MX Master 3 features USB-C charging and improved scrolling. It can be had in either a graphite or grey color. What I am more excited about, however, is a new wireless keyboard that the company releases today. Called "MX Keys," it is very similar to the existing Logitech Craft keyboard, but without the input dial. That's fine with me. Look, that dial is cool, but it never really caught on with consumers.

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There is this idea that people have to choose between PC and console gaming. While I'm sure there are some folks that are adamant about only using one or the other, the reality is, gamers just want to play games -- the platform doesn't really matter. Hell, some consumers own all of the current consoles, such as PlayStation 4 and Switch, while also playing PC games.

If you are the type of gamer that uses several platforms, SteelSeries has a new wireless gaming headset for you. Called "Arctis 1 ," it will work with Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Android. It comes with a USB Type-C wireless transmitter that plugs into the PC or console. If your device doesn't have USB-C, do not worry -- it also comes with a Type-A cable and 3.5mm audio cord.

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Officially, Kodi is not for piracy, but the reality is... it sort of is. Look, not everyone uses the software for nefarious purposes, but let's be honest here, folks, in these days of inexpensive streaming media, people setting up a media center to access locally stored files are few and far between. So, yeah, Kodi is a platform used by many pirates.

Regardless of what you use Kodi for, you should be excited today. Why? Well, a new version of the open source software is now available for download. No, it is not a monumental release by any means -- Kodi 18.4 "Leia" is pretty much all about bug fixes. In fact, end users may not even notice any changes.

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Happy Labor Day Weekend, dear BetaNews readers! Tomorrow, many of us "working stiffs" will get the opportunity to do nothing. We can sit around, watch TV, barbecue some meat -- hell, for one day, we can pretty much do whatever we'd like. Personally, I picked up some steaks from Costco, which are marinating now in anticipation. Sadly, not everyone will be off from work tomorrow, so if you will be at your job on Labor Day, please accept both my sympathies and respect.

If you want something fun to do tomorrow while relaxing at home, why not install Linux? Seriously, folks, what better time than Labor Day to look into replacing Windows 7 or Windows 10 on your PC with something better and faster? If your PC has been sluggish, or if you are wary of all the telemetry (spying) built into Windows 10, a distribution such as Linux Lite can breathe new life into your computer. Today, following a short beta period, Linux Lite 4.6 "Final" becomes available for download.

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PC gamers are really lucky nowadays. Not only are there many fun games, but lots of great hardware too. Monitors in particular have dropped in price while introducing higher refresh rates. Today, for instance, AOC launches a new monitor that is quite impressive. Called "CQ27G1," the 27-inch curved display features 2560x1440 resolution, AMD FreeSync, and an impressive 144Hz refresh rate. Best of all, it is competitively priced too.

What really intrigues me, however, is what AOC calls "Re-Spawned Warranty." Going back to a purchase date of January 1, 2019, the company will cover its gaming monitors for at least three years, including for a single dead pixel. Yes, you read that correctly -- if even one pixel goes bad, it will fix it. Many other companies require there to be many dead pixels before taking any action. Hell, for the first year, AOC will even cover accidental damage once. Believe it or not, if you do end up needing a replacement, AOC will send you a new monitor before you return the broken one.

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We all knew that Apple would be unveiling new iPhone smartphones next month, but now, we know the exact day -- September 10. Earlier today, Apple sent invitations to members of the press. Sadly, my invitation was lost in the mail. Once again, the product event will take place at the Steve Jobs Theater in the company's Cupertino, California "Apple Park" headquarters. Yes, this means Apple's announcement will happen nearly a month before Microsoft's upcoming Surface event.

BetaNews can confirm there will be three iPhone sizes -- 5.8-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.5-inch. We can also confirm that the oft-rumored square camera bump is happening too. Yeah, that square is ugly, but it is pretty much a guarantee that it will take phenomenal photos. Rumors suggest the new smartphones will be branded iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. Apparently, the company won't use "XI." It will be interesting to see what colors will be available, as the invitation image (seen above) suggests it could be a colorful affair.

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Apple products are very elegantly designed, but they aren't known for being durable, nor are they free from defects. For instance, my iPhone 8 Plus had dead pixels out of the box -- I had to get a screen fix immediately. Later, my MacBook Pro -- which I have since sold -- developed a screen defect on its own. There are countless people that have dropped their Apple devices too (even from low heights) and had the the damn thing break. Apple stuff can be rather fragile.

So, yeah, owning an Apple product means you sometimes have to visit the Apple Store to get it fixed. If you don't have Apple Care, however, and the phone is out of warranty, it can be a very expensive affair. Not to mention, many people don't live near a physical Apple Store. So to either save money or because of geographic purposes, they turn to third-party repair services.

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I'm someone who uses both a Linux-based operating system and Windows 10 daily. You'd think I constantly run into  roadblocks when working between them, but really, that couldn't be further from the truth. Actually, much of the software I use on Linux is also on Windows, such as GIMP, Google Chrome, and LibreOffice. One area where I have faced difficulty over the years, however, is working with different file systems for external drives. It is a common problem.

Today, Microsoft announces it will make working between Linux and Windows 10 even easier. How, you ask? By publicly publishing the exFAT file system specification and hopefully paving the way for it to be included in the Linux kernel. In other words, if you have a memory card, flash drive, or other storage device formatted in exFAT, you will eventually be able to access it on Linux right "out of the box" -- no need to install additional packages. I suppose you could say, Microsoft is essentially improving the Linux kernel! This should come as no surprise, as the Windows-maker has transformed itself into an open source champion these days.

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The majority of people in the world are illiterate -- including myself. No, I am not talking about being unable to read or write English or another language, but instead, the inability to code. Look, not everyone needs coding skills -- many jobs don't require it. However, as the workforce changes, and blue collar jobs disappear to automation and robots, the ability to code will be essential. And so, it is highly recommended that young folks get into coding as soon as possible -- the younger the better. After all, even if they later choose a career that doesn't involve coding, there is no downside to knowing how, right?

Today, the GNOME Foundation announces that it has partnered with Endless to launch a brand new "Coding Education Challenge." This is a great way to encourage both students and educators to investigate coding. While participation should be fun and educational, there is plenty of money to be had too. How much? A half million dollars!

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Jony Ive recently left Apple. The man was considered by many to be the top computer designer. Other people, including yours truly, thought Panos Panay of the Surface team was the superior designer. Well, with Ive gone, there is no longer any debate to be had -- Panay is undeniably the "top dog" and in a league of his own.

Apple will be holding an event next month, where the company is expected to not only unveil new iPhones and iPads, but also, a new MacBook Pro. And yeah, a new laptop from Apple is exciting stuff, but let's be honest -- it will probably just be an evolutionary design. Rumors suggest a MacBook Pro with a bigger screen and a huge price tag. True innovation seems to be coming from Microsoft lately, and this October, Panos Panay and his Surface team will unveil new devices in New York City.

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Believe it or not, many people still use 1080p. Hell, I am writing this on an 11.6-inch Chromebook with a 720p screen. Madness, right? Not really. I mean, not everyone needs the latest and greatest. Truth be told, I own a 4K television, but I have almost no UHD content. Why did I buy it then? The price wasn't much different from 1080p sets.

While many of us are barely taking advantage of 4K properly, manufacturers are continually pushing boundaries. There are already displays that exceed UHD. In particular, you can get an iMac with 5K for instance, or if you have a spare $70,000 lying about, you could buy this 98-inch 8K Sony TV.

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Another day, another Linux distribution. Yeah, it can get a bit tedious reading about so many operating systems based on the open source kernel, so here at BetaNews we typically try to inform you about the better ones. You see, there are many garbage Linux distributions that can simply be ignored -- they are either low-quality or overly redundant. Ultimately, it all becomes noise, harming the Linux community overall. Yes, having too much choice can be a negative.

Today, a wildly popular operating system achieves Beta status, and you should be interested -- it is worth your attention. Called "MX Linux," it has quietly gained a fairly large following, topping the charts at the legendary DistroWatch. MX Linux 19 Beta 1 is based on Debian 10 Buster and features the recently released Xfce 4.14 desktop environment. So, yeah, this is fairly bleeding edge stuff, although the Linux kernel is only at 4.19.5.

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Despite the surge in cloud storage adoption nowadays, sometimes local storage is still needed -- particularly external drives. After all, fewer consumers are buying desktops these days, instead relying on laptops, tablets, and convertibles. These computer types typically don't allow the addition of a second internal storage drive -- some don't even allow an upgrade of the sole drive. Thankfully, good ol' USB is still here to expand storage.

Today, ADATA unveils two new drives that utilize the tried-and-true USB-A connection. One is a flash drive, while the other is an external solid state drive. Neither product is particularly remarkable, but that is OK -- these are designed for functionality only. In other words, they aren't supposed to revolutionize anything or win a beauty pageant. With that said, they both are rather pretty.

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If you have a son or daughter heading to college this September, I bet you bought them a nice new laptop for their dorm room, right? Of course you did. I mean, a computer is an essential learning tool these days. While laptops aren't as expensive as they used to be, they are still an investment. The problem? Dorm rooms are often burglarized. If your child leaves their computer sitting on a desk, there is a good chance it could disappear. The same goes for businesses -- think about how easy it is for someone to grab a laptop and walk out the door -- scary stuff.

Thankfully, with some laptops and other devices, you can physically lock them up. If your device has a Kensington lock slot, it is very easy to secure it to a desk, wall, or other object. Today, StarTech.com launches a new line of these locks. There are three from which to choose -- a keyed cable lock, a combination lock, and a coiled combination lock. In addition, there are two heavy-duty anchors which can be secured to, say, a desk, so you can run the lock cable through it.

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