Brian Fagioli

Nearly a year ago, Logitech acquired famed company Blue Microphones. This was a match made in heaven, as the companies' products were very much aligned. Logitech makes some of the best headsets, while Blue produces microphones that are very much respected by vloggers, podcasters, musicians, and more. The Blue Yeti mic, for instance, is fairly ubiquitous thanks to its excellence.

Today, Logitech G announces a gaming headset that uses newly acquired Blue Microphones technology. Called "PRO X," it features premium build quality thanks to steel and aluminum materials. The ear pads are made of a faux-leather, but if you prefer, you can replace them with the included velour ear pads. The headset is analog, featuring a 3.5mm connection, but a USB DAC/sound card is included in the box as well. In other words, you can use them over USB or with a headphone jack -- your choice.

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Can you believe that Creative has been making Sound Blaster cards for 30 years? It's true! The year 2019 marks a 30th year for the company's revolutionary sound card brand. Way back in 1989 -- before some of you were born -- the Sound Blaster 1.0 card was released, and it changed everything. Quite frankly, in all these years, no company has come close to matching Creative's dominance in this market. True, sound cards have become less of a necessity and more of a luxury these days, but still, Creative remains king of the hill.

Wanting to celebrate this amazing milestone, Creative is launching two new cards -- The Sound Blaster AE-9 and AE-7. While both look very impressive, the former is the obvious flagship. All things considered, the Sound Blaster AE-9 is likely the best card the company has ever produced. Creative brags that AE-9 uses "CleanLine Technology," which will provide superior microphone clarity thanks to special noise-blocking circuitry -- great for podcasters, steamers, and musicians. The drool-worthy AE-9 even has upgradeable/removable OpAmps!

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Fans of Linux have long coveted System76 computers, as they come with Ubuntu pre-installed rather than Windows. After all, buying one of these computers is a great way to support the Linux community. Nowadays, in addition to Ubuntu, the company also offers its own Ubuntu-based operating system called Pop!_OS.

With the System76 "Thelio" desktop PC, even more people became interested in the company -- beyond Linux enthusiasts. Why? Because it is made right here in the good ol' USA. People that take pride in being an American often look for USA-made products (something that is getting increasingly harder to find), and System76 began filling that need.

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Debian is one of the most important operating systems, as so many other Linux distributions (such as Ubuntu) are based on it. In other words, it is part of the foundation that holds up many distros. With that said, it is a great operating system in its own right -- many folks depend on it daily.

Today, Debian reaches a significant milestone -- version 10. Yes, Debian is finally in the double digits. Believe it or not, development of Debian 10 (code-named "Buster") took more than two years! In fact, more than 60 percent of all packages have been updated since its predecessor. Probably the most significant update, however, is Wayland finally being the new default display server for the GNOME desktop environment.

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Apple has been making a lot of money despite making many mistakes in the design department. Thankfully, the once brilliant Jony Ive -- now seemingly washed up -- has left the company; we should hopefully see some fresh ideas that focus on substance rather than flash.

One of the most polarizing Apple design choices in recent years is the controversial MacBook butterfly keyboard. The scissor keys have very little movement, are fairly loud, and worst of all, are prone to breakage by something as simple as a piece of dust. And yet, I love that damn keyboard.

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AOC has long made great monitors, and it is sad that the company has essentially lost its brand to popular politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Look, nothing against the representative from New York, but I am sure AOC the monitor maker is distraught over the whole situation. I mean, the company has been around more than 50 years! And now, if you say "AOC," most folks will immediately think you are referring to the politician. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez even scored the @AOC twitter handle!

Well, I will always think of AOC as a monitor-maker first, and today, it announces two new models. One is 24.5-inch (AG251FZ2), while the other is 27-inch (AG271FZ2). Although the resolution is "only"1080p, they both have other impressive specs, such as 240Hz refresh, 0.5ms response, 400 cd/m² brightness, and AMD FreeSync. Connectivity is bountiful, with both monitors offering DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI, and VGA. You even get a built-in USB hub and integrated speakers.

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We are finally in the month of July and summer is officially here! This means swimming in the pool, going to the beach with friends, and grilling some yummy food in the backyard with family. Summer truly is the season where memories are made.

Of course, despite the beautiful weather outside, there is still a need to pull out your laptop every once in a while. Maybe you want to get some work done, video chat with friends, watch YouTube, or do a little gaming. If you need a new laptop to do these things, I have some great news. Your friends at BetaNews have partnered with HUAWEI for an insane giveaway. To celebrate the summer, one lucky reader can win the highly regarded MateBook 13 laptop!

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When I cut the cord and switched from cable TV to streaming with YouTube TV, I was beyond happy. The interface was modern, there were many quality channels, I could watch live TV on the go, and best of all, it was less expensive than cable. Fast forward to today, and after some price increases, the cost savings have all but disappeared. And yet, I remain a loyal YouTube TV subscriber, as the service is only getting better, making the increased monthly charge worthwhile.

While I have no experience with PlayStation Vue -- another streaming TV service -- I am sure it has its own loyal fans. Whether or not they tolerate price increases is another story, and sadly, as of today, they are facing a higher cost for all tiers of service. Thankfully, it isn't too large of a price jump.

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Today is the first day of the seventh month -- July. This month is special to Americans, as we celebrate our independence from the treacherous British on July the fourth.

With that said, it is quite appropriate that Mageia 7 -- a high-quality Linux distribution -- is released today. You see, it is interesting to have the seventh major version of the operating system become available for download on 7/1. But also, it is significant because, just like America declared its independence, so too can Windows users by switching to this excellent Linux distro.

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Do you need a new laptop or desktop, but don't know what to buy? Don't worry; this is a pretty common dilemma. While you can, of course, look into a Mac or Windows 10 computer, you should consider Linux too. A computer running, say, Ubuntu, can be great for productivity, education, creation, and more. Best of all, many top-tier Linux programs, such as GIMP and LibreOffice are totally free. And yes, your favorite web browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome will run on Linux too.

If you are open to the idea of buying a computer running a Linux-based operating system, you should definitely check out System76. Not only are its laptops and desktops of high quality, but its customer service is unrivaled. If you ever need help, you can contact an actual human being that is based in the USA. The support representatives aren't just reading off a script either -- these people are truly knowledgeable.

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Apple has essentially kicked Jony Ive out of the company. Well, that's what my gut tells me anyway. Officially, the Chief Design Officer has left voluntarily to form a design company called "LoveFrom." This has sent shock waves throughout the technology community, as it was not at all expected.

Apparently, Apple will be LoveFrom's first client, which is just odd. It means Ive would work with Apple rather than for it -- a freelancer, if you will. This seems like malarkey to me -- the arrangement might just be a cover for all parties involved. Apple can protect its image by not sullying Ive's name through a proper firing, while Ive can continue to be a pompous bloke and retain his dignity. After all, neither party wants bad blood -- it can harm the reputation of both sides.

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We are on the verge of the next big thing in home networking, which is 802.11ax -- also known as Wi-Fi 6. The truth, however, is it will be a very long time before a majority of households have 802.11ax routers or devices. Hell, I know many people still using 802.11G and N routers that are perfectly happy. Those that invest in Wi-Fi 6 today are most likely enthusiasts that don't really need it. They probably don't even have any 802.11ax clients!

With all of that said, it is still totally reasonable to buy an 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) router in late 2019. Today, NETGEAR launches a "new" 802.11ac mesh Wi-Fi system aimed at hardcore gamers. Called "XRM570 Nighthawk Pro Gaming," it really isn't a new product at all. Actually, it features two of the company's existing devices -- the XR500 router which comes factory-paired with the Mesh Range Extender EX7700. It runs the DumaOS, which is a specialized router operating system designed to prioritize gaming.

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Long gone are the days where consumers were expected to backup data to clunky external hard drives to prevent losing files to a hardware failure (something many never bothered to do). These days, many of their documents and photos are saved in the cloud. Cloud storage is hardly perfect from a security and privacy standpoint, but for many consumers, it is an essential way to backup and access files. I'd rather consumers trust the cloud as opposed to not backing up at all and transferring files with non-encrypted USB flash drives. As they say, "don't let perfect get in the way of better" -- the cloud is better.

And today, OneDrive is getting better too. You see, Microsoft will soon be launching a new feature called "OneDrive Personal Vault" which will allow users to better secure their sensitive files in the cloud. Its brilliance is seemingly in its simplicity -- it is a OneDrive folder with a bank vault icon that requires additional authentication, such as SMS, biometrics, a pin, or the Microsoft Authenticator app. Visually, it should be easy for consumers to understand, which is essential. You can even "scan" documents directly to this special folder using your smartphone camera. Best of all, access to the Personal Vault is restricted after a period of inactivity, forcing a new authentication.

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While some folks use Raspberry Pi devices for tinkering, creating, and other geeky projects, many others simply use it for media playback. You see, thanks to the Linux-based LibreELEC operating system, you can easily run the Kodi media center on the tiny computer. Believe it or not, LibreELEC runs very well on Pi computers too -- it is a solid media consumption experience.

Yesterday, the Raspberry Pi 4 was announced with better specs and new ports, such as dual micro-HDMI which are capable of 4K video! You can even opt for up to 4GB of RAM -- quadruple what was previously available. Understandably, Kodi users were drooling over the possibility of running LibreELEC on the Raspberry Pi 4. Well, good news -- there is already an alpha build of the Linux distro for the newest Pi.

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Huawei makes great devices -- its smartphones, tablets, and laptops are very well respected by consumers around the world. Quite frankly, when it comes to Windows 10 computers, the company has become one of my favorite brands -- the machines offer elegance and affordability.

Newegg is currently having a flash sale on the Huawei MateBook D, and the price is absolutely killer. For under $500, you can score a beautiful touchscreen Windows 10 laptop that is powered by AMD Ryzen 5.

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