Brian Fagioli

Intel's Thunderbolt 3 uses the USB-C connector, which is sort of confusing. Basically, all TB3 ports can also handle USB, but standard USB Type C ports cannot work with Thunderbolt 3. This can lead to confusion for consumers. Intel's standard is much faster, meaning Thunderbolt 3 accessories are often superior to regular USB-C models. Of course, TB3-related things are usually more expensive too.

In an effort to make Thunderbolt ubiquitous, Intel is sharing its TB protocol with the USB Promoter Group. What does this mean? Well, the future of the Universal Serial Bus, USB4, will not only work with USB 2.0 and 3.x devices, but Thunderbolt 3 too. In other words, by having a USB4 port on your computer, you also have TB3.

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When shopping for a Bluetooth speaker, there are many options nowadays. Quite frankly, trying to pick one can be an overwhelming experience. My advice? If you stick to two brands -- JBL or Ultimate Ears -- you will be absolutely fine. Bluetooth speakers from those companies are consistently excellent. Are there good speakers from other companies? Sure, but they can be hit or miss.

Ultimate Ears in particular has never let me down. Its lower-end offerings and its top models all offer both great build and sound quality. Seriously, folks, not only do they sound really good, but they are extremely durable too. The Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 is probably the best "bang for your buck" speaker, as it gets plenty loud and costs less than $200.

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Linux Mint is one of the most polished and beautiful operating systems. As more and more people reject Windows 10, Mint becomes a very attractive alternative. Looks aside, it is a stable and reliable Linux distribution too -- it provides an overall excellent user experience.

Unfortunately, the great looks of the Linux Mint operating system do not carry over to its website. What I’m trying to say is, the Linux Mint website is ugly and outdated. In the grand scheme of things that doesn’t matter much, but it could be a turnoff to new users.

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Times are hard out there, y’all. Look, I get it -- disposable income is hard to come by. At the same time, a smartphone really isn’t a luxury anymore -- it is a necessity. That’s why it hurts so badly when companies price the latest and greatest devices at $1,000 or more. Even worse, the cost for cellular service is a monthly drain on your bank account too.

Thankfully, you can have a quality smartphone experience without breaking the bank. The Google Fi service, for instance, is affordable without being low quality. The search giant’s offering aggregates services from Sprint, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular to help you have a solid connection wherever you go. Today, Google Fi announces support for an additional phone -- moto g7. This budget smartphone from Motorola will support all Google Fi features for a very reasonable price.

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Ah, the fanny pack -- one of the most controversial pieces of fashion. Many people decry this waist-worn bag as ugly and nerdy, but they are wrong. Actually, the fanny pack was just way ahead of its time. In the 1980s and 90s, people simply didn't have all the tech gear we do nowadays. In other words, its usefulness is more appropriate for modern times. How great would it feel to not have your phone charger, keys, wallet, flash drive, or battery bank stuffed into your overloaded pockets?

Today, a company named Mission Workshop launches a fanny pack for 2019. Called "Axis V," it is an upgrade to its previous generation product. This waist-worn bag can sit above either your buttocks or crotch -- you choose the position. You can also wear it to the side if you want. If you get tired of having it on your waist, it can also be slung over your shoulder -- it is very versatile.

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If you are looking to upgrade your existing solid state drive or hard disk drive, Micron has a new product that may interest you. The "1300," as it is called, uses the "slower" SATA interface, meaning it isn't as fast as the fancy new NVMe options on the market. If your computer doesn't have an NVMe M.2 slot anyway, that is sort of a moot point.

With the SATA interface, speeds are still respectable -- 530 MB/s read and 520 MB/s write. Those speeds are regardless of capacity. If you go with the 2.5-inch form factor, you can choose among 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB. The M.2 variant has the same capacities as the other, minus 2TB.

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Believe it or not, Google Summer of Code 2019 will be the 15 year anniversary of the open source student program. If you aren't familiar, this is a program where Google pairs university students with open source organizations to work together over the summer. Yes, I said working together -- the students don't just observe, they get to actively participate in important open source projects! How cool is that?

Today, Google announces all the organizations that have been accepted as GSoC mentors, and the Linux community is very well represented. In fact, two of the most significant Linux distributions -- Fedora and Debian -- are both participating. In addition, one of the most important Linux desktop environments, GNOME, is taking part too. Even KDE and The Linux Foundation are in the mix! With all of that said, Google Summer of Code is not a Linux-only affair -- open source is the overall star of the show.

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It used to be if you wanted quality audio, you had to pay and arm and a leg to achieve it. Hell, stereo equipment used to take up a lot of space too -- it could be a burden. Nowadays, however, you can score solid speakers for a very affordable price. Best of all, the packages are much smaller too -- you don't need dedicated cabinets to hold massive receivers and other components. With that said, there are some audiophiles out there that still buy massive (and expensive) equipment. If they can afford it and it makes them happy, God bless them.

Today, Logitech announces a 5.1 surround sound speaker system that is surprisingly affordable. While certainly not for audiophiles, it looks like a great option for the everyday "common" person. Called "Z606", it offers a total peak wattage of 160 for all 6 speakers -- five satellites (one of which serves as center channel) and a powered subwoofer. Although it is mostly a wired affair, it also offers Bluetooth support for convenience. While there are controls for things such as volume on the subwoofer, the package also comes with a mini remote control so you don't have to get up from your couch, bed, or chair.

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Earlier today, we reported on some very exciting news regarding microSD -- a new faster "Express" version of the card type is on the way. microSD Express will usher in a new era of ultra-fast diminutive storage cards.

For now, however, SanDisk is laying claim to having the world's fastest (non-Express) 1TB microSD. In addition to this new 1TB variant of the Extreme UHS-I microSDXC card, the company is also announcing a 512GB model at a significantly lower price. Speed between the two new capacities will be identical. The previous top capacity for this line of high-performance cards was 400GB.

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microSD cards still blow my mind. It remains amazing to me that so much storage can be offered on a card smaller than a postage stamp. They come in very handy for devices like smartphones, tablets, and drones, to name a few.

The SD Association is continuing to push the envelope, however, making these diminutive cards even better. No, the cards are not getting physically smaller -- thank goodness. Actually, they are getting faster. Joining the existing SD Express, the micro cards are also getting the speedy "Express" treatment. Yes, microSD Express cards are on the way.

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Late last year, in the beginning of December, Mageia 7 officially entered the beta stage. Fans of the operating system were obviously excited, but since then, all has been quiet.

Today, however, this changes — Mageia 7 Beta 2 is officially here! Unfortunately, according to the developers, a stable version is still far off.

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"Elegance" and "value." Those two words are synonymous with HUAWEI. The company is still establishing itself in the USA, but in China, HUAWEI's products are insanely popular. Its laptops, tablets, and smartphones are designed to be beautiful and functional, while also offering a great value. In some ways, it has matched or exceeded the legendary Apple in the design department.

HUAWEI's laptops in particular are top notch, putting the Windows 10 machines from other manufacturers to shame. The MateBook X Pro, for instance, offers insane performance in an affordable and attractive package. Today, the company announces a refresh to that laptop, while also unveiling a new model -- the MateBook 14. After coming away extremely impressed by the MateBook 13 earlier this month, I have very high hopes for the 14. The X Pro and 14 both have the much desired 3:2 aspect ratio, but the former has higher resolution. Another big difference between the two is that the X Pro has Thunderbolt 3, while the 14 does not. With that said, the 14 does have HDMI, so you can output video without a dongle -- a nice feature for some.

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SATA solid states are hardly exciting to tech enthusiasts and hardcore PC builders these days. After all, NVMe SSDs are much faster and getting more affordable all the time. The problem? Many consumers simply don't own a computer with the NVMe-compatible m.2 slot needed to accommodate the speedier drive. With that said, many computer users do own machines with the ubiquitous SATA. If they want to replace an aging mechanical hard drive -- or even an existing 2.5-inch solid state drive -- a SATA variant is an affordable and easy drop-in upgrade.

ADATA has a new SATA solid state drive that is designed for upgraders. Called "SU750," it is a 2.5-inch SSD that utilizes 3D TLC NAND Flash with capacities up to 1TB. Performance is exactly what you would expect from such a SATA drive, as all of them are pretty much the same speed these days. Despite being a fairly unremarkable SSD, ADATA is dubbing it "Ultimate" for some reason -- marketing, I suppose.

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A couple of days ago we shared with you that legendary "shock jock" Howard Stern's video content was now accessible on Fire TV by way of the SiriusXM app. While it was certainly exciting, many folks felt left out. After all, not everyone owns one of Amazon's media devices. People like me, for instance, love Howard Stern but own Apple TV instead.

Thankfully, starting today, Stern's videos are accessible on Apple TV too. Yes, the SiriusXM app on Apple's media box will now show his video content -- the same as Amazon Fire TV.

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When it comes to building a PC, RGB lighting is a very polarizing topic. Some consumers love the customizable lighting, while others detest it. As far as I'm concerned, those that hate RGB are simply wrong -- they need to open their hearts and minds and have a bit of fun. Not to mention, the lights can typically be turned off entirely if you absolutely can't stand it.

If you love RGB lighting like I do, you will surely be excited about CORSAIR's newest RAM kits. Called "DOMINATOR PLATINUM RGB DDR4," each stick features an amazing 12 RGB LEDs. You can customize the lighting using CORSAIR's "iCUe" software. This memory is not only about appearances, however. Actually, this RAM is insanely fast too, featuring speeds of up to 4,800MHz! Kits can be had in sizes ranging from 16GB (2x 8GB) to 128GB (8x 16GB).

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