Brian Fagioli

GNOME is the best overall desktop environment, and deepin is the most beautiful Linux distribution, but there are many other options out there. That's one of the things that makes Linux distributions so much better than Windows 10 -- you can choose from various user interfaces to find one that is best for you. Microsoft and Apple force you to use the environment of their choosing, limiting the overall customization options.

Today, yet another Linux-based operating system gets a major version update. Solus 4 "Fortitude" can be downloaded immediately, and it is chock full of improvements. While this distro largely focuses on the Budgie desktop environment, you can also opt for GNOME, Mate, or KDE Plasma (in testing).

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There are many Linux distributions in the wild nowadays, but none are more beautiful than deepin. Even though I don't use the operating system regularly (I prefer Fedora and GNOME), I recognize deepin's beauty as second to none. Some people refuse to use the distro because its developers are in China, but in reality, it should be fine to use. Just like concerns about Huawei hardware, it is largely due to xenophobia.

While deepin has always seemed rock solid to me, its base of Debian unstable apparently made it less reliable than the developers liked. As a result, beginning with the new 15.9.2 beta, deepin is switching to Debian stable. In other words, the developers are not only focused on the superficial.

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Poor Microsoft. The company tries hard with Xbox One, but Sony's PlayStation 4 consistently outsells it in both USA and Japan. Why is this? Probably because PS4 mostly focuses on gaming, while Microsoft tries to push Xbox One as an entertainment device. Yeah, PS4 is a media device too, but that is secondary. Not to mention, Xbox One runs a version of the much-maligned Windows 10. Ultimately, hardcore gamers just seem to prefer PlayStation.

One definite way that PS4 is better than Xbox One is the controller. Sony's DualShock 4 is comfortable, sleek, and familiar. Hell, it even has a revolutionary touch pad. Microsoft's Xbox controller is good too, but it pales in comparison to the PlayStation 4's offering. Today, Sony unveils a new Alpine Green color for its iconic DualShock 4, and it looks damn good.

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Gaming products are everywhere these days. Even if you aren't a gamer, these offerings are usually quite premium, making them a solid choice for anyone. For instance, a mechanical gaming keyboard can be excellent for typists, while a gaming mouse might provides accuracy, comfort, and durability. The problem? Many gaming products can be considered ugly, looking like alien spaceships or mutant spiders.

Today, NETGEAR launches its newest gaming router, and its appearance is surprisingly conservative. Called "Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR300," its design is wonderfully boring -- in a good way. In other words, it doesn't outwardly appear to be a gaming router, but make no mistake, the underlying DumaOS operating system (which is based on OpenWRT) is tuned for gamers and has useful features like QoS and geo-filtering. The dual-band 802.11ac router has a 1GHz dual-core processor, three antennas, and beamforming. Strangely, its USB 3.1 gen 1 Type-A port is on the front -- an odd placement for those that prefer to leave something connected to it.

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The cloud storage market is very crowded. With behemoths such as Google, Microsoft, and Apple all offering competitively priced offerings (not to mention free options), how can any other company compete? Dropbox, for instance, is a great service, but the writing is on the wall -- pundits and analysts have been predicting its acquisition by one of the aforementioned three companies for years now. True, Dropbox is still successful now, but it can't afford to offer cloud storage at a loss, while the big guys can if they choose. Capitalism!

With all of that said, Dropbox would be foolish to make any wrong moves that could drive users away. And yet, the company has quietly done just that. You see, as of this month (March 2019) Dropbox is now limiting its free users to a mere three devices. While that may be enough for some, it can add up very quickly. Want to use the free Dropbox with your phone, tablet, and laptop? Well, you are now at your limit. Got another computer in the household? Maybe a Linux box? Sucks for you, bro.

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Last month, I reviewed the HUAWEI MateBook 13 -- an excellent Windows 10 laptop. I was impressed with many aspects of that computer, including the very speedy Western Digital NVMe solid state drive. I’m usually a Samsung man when it comes to SSDs -- after all, its drives are always superb. But thanks to the respectable performance of the drive found in the aforementioned laptop, I am now intrigued by Western Digital SSDs too.

Back in January, Western Digital announced the WD Black SN750 -- an NVMe SSD for enthusiasts. Today, the company releases a budget-focused NVMe SSD aimed at upgraders that don’t necessarily need the absolute fastest storage drive. Called "WD Blue SN500", the 2-lane drive is significantly faster than an SATA SSD, but slower than performance-focused NVMe drives. Most importantly, the M.2 2280 PCIe Gen3 x2 drive is very affordable, regardless of which capacity you choose.

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Whether or not a desktop environment is "best" is subjective. In other words, not all people prefer the same DE. Some folks like GNOME, others are KDE Plasma fans, and some Linux users choose something else. With that said, GNOME is the best. It is not debatable -- please accept this fact. GNOME simply offers the most sensical user interface while also being beautiful. Look, when Canonical killed the much-maligned Unity, what DE was chosen as the new default DE for Ubuntu? Exactly -- GNOME. Hell, GNOME bests both macOS and Windows 10 too.

Today, the best gets even better as GNOME 3.32 "Taipei" is finally here! The DE finally gets one of the most desired features -- fractional scaling. While technically just experimental for now, it will allow users to better scale their desktops when using a HiDPI monitor. Speaking of appearances, GNOME finally gets refreshed icons, and yes, that matters. They look amazing and modern. Also cool? The on-screen keyboard has an emoji picker! User images are now all circular too, lending to a more cohesive and consistent feel. The excellent GNOME Software is getting an update too, with more transparent details about app permissions.

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Humble Bundle is a really cool program. If you aren't familiar, the website sells games, apps, and more with a "pay what you want" pricing scheme. Essentially, you can score a bundle of really good digital content without harming your bank account.

No, you can't just pay a penny -- usually there is some sort of minimum, such as a dollar. There are often tiers too, where you can unlock more by paying additional funds. So why does anyone pay more than the minimum? Well, some of the proceeds go to charity, so the more you pay, the more money goes to a good cause.

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Here's the deal, folks -- there are far too many Linux distributions out there nowadays. It used to bother me, but over time, I made peace with it. Look, it's the nature of the beast -- we will never have a single Linux distro, as it is impossible to come to any consensus. For instance, I prefer Fedora and GNOME, but at the same time, other people like Ubuntu and KDE. If you were to poll the Linux community you would see a very segmented group of people. And so, there are an obscene number of operating systems based on the open source Linux kernel.

When I saw a distro claiming to be stable while using the brand new Linux 5.0 kernel and being based on the not-yet-finalized Ubuntu 19.04 Disco Dingo, I was intrigued. Surprisingly, despite it being around for years, it is an operating system I was not familiar with. Called "ExTiX," it seems to be developed by one man with a very no-frills website. In other words, I probably would not suggest using this thing as your main operating system for daily use. However, if you think it would be fun to play around with a Disco Dingo base and Linux kernel 5.0, it might be a fun weekend experiment. Not to mention, Kodi "Leia" comes pre-installed!

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The USB-C connector is absolutely here to stay. Not only is the reversible plug used by USB, but Thunderbolt 3 too. The upcoming USB4 standard will use the connector as well, and is backwards-compatible with USB 3.x. This means any USB-C dongle or adapter you buy today will be supported for many years -- how cool is that?

Today, StarTech launches two new USB-C multiport adapters that are designed for business professionals. Of course, they can be used for personal use too. One of them (CDPVDHMDPDP) is focused solely on video, while the other (DKT30CHVGPD) does video, Ethernet, and offers USB-A ports. Best of all, they both feature power delivery and an integrated USB-C cable that can be tucked into the device itself. In other words, you won't have to worry about losing or forgetting a wire.

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Navigating media and playing PC games from your couch, bed, or reclining chair can be quite tedious. When searching for a movie on Netflix, for example, it is very annoying to enter text with a remote control. Sure, there are voice search options, but it would be much nicer to use a keyboard. If you want to a play a PC game in your living room or bedroom because your computer is hooked up to a TV, using a keyboard and mouse on your lap is damn-near impossible. Instead, you have to pull out a table or something similar. Ugh. What a clunky experience!

Today, CORSAIR launches a new product that should make it much more comfortable to both play PC games and search for media while in front of your TV. Called "K83 Wireless Entertainment Keyboard," it also includes a touchpad, meaning there is no need for a mouse. It even includes an analog joystick! This one device can be used for both gaming and media. Best of all, it is reasonably priced too.

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Microsoft has long been a champion of closed source ideology -- it made its billions thanks to it. Historically, the company was against open source, publicly bad-mouthing projects like Linux.

Under Satya Nadella's leadership, however, Microsoft is a very different company. Not only does it support open source and Linux, it actually contributes open source code. In fact, Microsoft is one of the top contributors. Today, the Windows-maker announces that it is taking its commitment to open source ideology even further. How? By making its Windows Calculator program an open source project on GitHub. Yes, really.

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Intel's NUC computers are impressively little, but they are hardly the smallest personal computers. There are PCs shoved into HDMI dongles, for instance, that look like USB flash drives.

ECS has long been making diminutive desktop computers with its "LIVA" line, and today, it announces the latest model. Called "LIVA Q2," this tiny desktop computer is shockingly small, with very few ports -- two USB-A, one HDMI, one Ethernet, and a micro SD port. Plug in a wired mouse and keyboard, for example, and you now cannot plug in a USB flash drive without a hub. While ECS only lists Windows 10 as being supported, it should make an excellent Linux machine too.

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Amazon Alexa and Roku. These are two things I greatly appreciate. Why? Well, they are fairly open and don't lock the user into any specific service. In other words, both Roku and Alexa support countless third-party services, making it easy for the owner to switch without compromise. Don't like Amazon Music? Change to Spotify. Not a fan of Sling TV? Go with YouTube TV. It's no surprise that both developers and consumers love Alexa and Roku.

Today, Roku and Alexa finally become friends. You see, Roku has released an official "skill" for Alexa, enabling the user to control the media box with their voice through Amazon's assistant. The skill is also compatible with Roku TV (televisions with the platform built in).

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System76 computers are notable for coming with a Linux-based operating system, but that isn't the only reason you should buy one. Software aside, the company's offerings are often very powerful, and best of all, upgradeable. Unlike Apple, for instance, you can actually service the RAM, SSD, and more -- they aren’t soldered in. Not to mention, System76's customer service and support is very well respected.

If you want a laptop that is powerful without being overly thick, the Oryx Pro (available with either a 16.1-inch or 17.3-inch display) is a great balance. Now, System76 is making that computer even better thanks to a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20-Series GPU upgrade. When you pair those powerful graphics with a hexa-core 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H processor, you will have an absolute beast. Plus, if you need a lot of memory, you can configure it with up to 32GB of RAM. System76 has also upgraded the speakers for a better multimedia experience.

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