While I appreciate hardware makers and game developers pushing the boundaries of what gaming can be, it is important to remember one important fact -- fun trumps all. In other words, it doesn't matter how much processing power a computer or console has, or how beautiful a game's graphics are, if it isn't fun to play! That's probably a big reason why retro-gaming is so popular these days.

For Linux users, gaming is getting much better these days, especially with Steam support. One game in particular, however, has brought much joy to Linux users without the need for high-end graphics cards. Called "SuperTuxKart," it is essentially an open source clone of Mario Kart, that is simply fun to play. While the title character is the Linux mascot, there are Windows and macOS versions too. Thankfully, the game is about to get even better, as networking is being added -- allowing you to play against others over LAN or the internet. Today, following an alpha period, that feature finally becomes available in beta, with version 0.10-beta1.

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Goodness gracious -- we have come such a long way with storage. Floppy disks, which were still prevalent in homes and universities less than two decades ago, held just 1.44 MB of data. Flash storage changed everything, however, as diminutive USB thumb drives and storage cards offered ever-expanding capacities. Quite frankly, it is unreal to see how many files can be held on a card that is smaller than a postage stamp these days, such as micro SD.

For photographers, full-sized SD cards still reign supreme, and today, Lexar unveils a new card with an insanely large capacity -- 1TB. Yes, folks, you can hold an entire terabyte of data on a tiny SD card. The dream of many is now a reality. It offers 95MB/s read and 70MB/s write.

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Today at CES 2019, Toshiba announced a new SSD series. Designed primarily for PC manufacturers, the "BG4," as it is called, is an NVMe SSD that features 96-layer 3D flash and up to 1TB capacity.

While the drive is not necessarily intended for consumers to buy directly, it will undoubtedly find its way to them through PC purchases. So yes, it is OK to be excited for it, folks -- especially since it is significantly faster than its predecessor, the BG3.

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There are a lot of devices that charge with USB-C these days. With that said, there are many that don't. It is for that reason that it is wise to get a charger that offers both USB-C and USB-A charging ports. This way, you increase the possibility that you charger will not only meet your needs, but the needs of friends and family too. You can be seen as a super hero to your significant other while on vacation, for instance, when your charger can juice up essentially any device.

Today, popular company Satechi launches two such chargers, and they look quite elegant. The 75W Dual Type-C PD Travel Charger offers two USB-A ports and two USB-C ports, allowing you to charge up to four devices at once -- how cool is that? The 30W Dual-Port Wall Charger Adapter has just one Type-A port and one Type-C port. While the latter charger offers fewer ports, it is also smaller, making it ideal for tossing in a bag. It also offers foldable prongs (USA variant only). The 75W variant is designed to lay on a desk or table, so it has a long removable cable.

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Thunderbolt 3 is great for many reasons -- it is fast, uses the USB-C connector, and allows you to expand the capability of your laptop. It used to be notebook owners were very limited for gaming, for instance, as you couldn't upgrade the graphics. Even if you opted for a quality mobile GPU from, say, AMD or NVIDIA, it still wouldn't compare to a high-end desktop graphics card. With Thunderbolt 3, however, you can easily add a top-tier desktop GPU to your laptop by leveraging an enclosure.

Today, VisionTek launches a new such enclosure, and it looks amazing. I tried -- and loved -- the company's previous model, but it was rather large. This new model, called "Thunderbolt 3 Mini eGFX," is smaller, and believe it or not, is less expensive too -- all while retaining the same functionality. Not only does it allow the user to add a desktop GPU to their laptop, but it introduces USB-A ports, Ethernet, and SATA 3. And yes, it will charge the laptop while connected too.

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As consumers use less and less local storage because of the cloud and streaming media, you would expect manufacturers to stop focusing on massive hard disk drives. After all, solid state drives are faster, albeit much more expensive from a capacity standpoint. And yeah, long gone are the days where PC manufacturers touted massive local disk capacity as a selling point. But still, there is a need for cost effective hard drives for data centers, servers, and more. Hell, there are professionals -- such as media creators -- that can benefit from a roomy hard drive as well.

Thankfully, companies are still pushing the boundaries of what is possible with a 3.5-inch form factor. Toshiba, for instance -- with the help of helium -- has reached yet another milestone for its traditional hard drive portfolio. Its new MG08 drive is a 3.5-inch conventional magnetic recording hard disk drive with an impressive 7,200 RPM speed and a massive 16TB of storage capacity -- making 12TB, 14TB, and 15TB models look like "old hat."

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The 2019 Consumer Electronics Show hasn't officially started yet (it begins tomorrow), but there are already tons of new products being announced in anticipation. Quite frankly, there is too much stuff being unveiled lately, making it not much more than a bunch of noise. Trying to keep up with all the new products is an exercise in frustration -- I wouldn't be mad if CES was canceled forever.

There are so many new Windows 10 laptops this year, for instance, that it can be hard to get excited over them. And yet, one has managed to tickle my fancy. No, it isn't some hardcore gaming machine. It doesn't have a unique form factor or any bells and whistles. Actually, I am attracted to its affordability and cute design. Called "Notebook Flash," it is a basic laptop from Samsung with a textured body, rounded keys (Samsung calls them "typewriter"), and speckled paint-job on the rear. It makes me smile for some reason.

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In 2019, streaming media is ubiquitous. It seems like everyone has a Netflix account -- not to mention Hulu, Spotify, YouTube, and more. Hell, as more and more people cut the cord, even live TV is being streamed over the internet. If you are a big fan of consuming media, you are definitely alive at the right time. Of course, to enjoy streaming media, you need hardware to do so. Many TVs are "smart" these days, meaning they have the ability to access services without the need of a media box.

With that said, smart TVs are often quite dumb in this regard -- they can be outdated (abandoned by the maker) and offer deficient user interfaces. That's why many people still buy things like Apple TV and Roku even when they have a TV with similar functionality. While I love my Apple TV, Roku remains the best value -- its hardware is very capable and affordable, while having access to many popular services -- including free movies! That's why it should come as no surprise that Roku has reached an important milestone -- more than 27 million active accounts! Wow.

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When playing video games online, a headset can really enhance the experience. True, a lot of it is unfortunately having trolls insult you while using foul language, but overall, voice communication is a positive experience that can make online gaming more fun. Not to mention, the headset allows you to hear in-game audio without annoying other members of your home. Hell, wearing headphones can arguably give you an edge over speakers, as you should be able to better hear enemy movements, for instance.

Today, HyperX announces a pair of new premium headsets -- the Cloud Orbit and the Cloud Orbit S. Both are quite similar, except the latter utilizes Waves Nx technology, which tracks the gamer's head movements for a more immersive audio experience. With that exception, the hardware and specs are identical.

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Many home consumers don't really need Windows anymore. With so many things being web-based nowadays, it is much wiser to opt for the more secure Linux-based Chrome OS. Not satisfied with only using web-based solutions? Chromebooks can now run Android apps too, giving the user a huge library of quality apps. In addition, Google is currently testing the ability to run traditional Linux programs on Chrome OS. Even though the feature is technically in beta, it works wonderfully -- I have successfully installed and used GIMP, for instance.

Since more and more consumers are choosing Chrome OS, computer manufacturers are increasingly offering quality Chromebooks. In other words, these laptops are no longer just meant to be low cost. With that said, there is no reason a great Chromebook can't be affordable, and today, Acer unveils a beautiful such product. Called "Chromebook 315," the 15.6-inch laptop is powered by AMD's excellent APUs (a combination CPU and GPU). So yes, this is a Chromebook with Radeon graphics! There are three display options from which to choose, with one of them offering touch -- a nice option for Android apps. The top-firing speakers should make it great for consuming media too.

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USB-C is the greatest thing since sliced bread. The connector is reversible, meaning there is no wrong way to insert it. USB-A, conversely, was hugely annoying in this regard -- for many years, computer users had to suffer through the madness. Not to mention, since the USB-C connector is much smaller, it can be utilized by smartphones and tablets in addition to desktop computers, and laptops.

Of course, there are times when you may need to connect a device that doesn't use USB-C, such as an Ethernet cable, computer monitor, or USB-A flash drive. For this, you can purchase individual dongles, but it is more convenient to simply get a multiport adapter instead. Today, StarTech launches two new such models -- the DK30C2HAGPD and DK30C2DAGPD. They are very much the same, except the former uses HDMI while the latter is compatible with DisplayPort.

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Many people use ARRIS products without really thinking about it. How can that be? Well, its excellent cable modems are quite ubiquitous in the USA. When a cable internet provider gives the user a modem, it is often ARRIS. They are stable modems that just work well. Of course, you can also buy the company's modems from retailers like Amazon -- a great way to save money if your ISP charges you a monthly rental fee for theirs.

Today, ARRIS unveils a new network product for both home and business consumers, but it is not a cable modem. Instead, it is a beautiful new mesh Wi-Fi system. In other words, it is a router that pairs with at least one other access point to blanket your home or office in wireless internet. What makes this new product so intriguing is its inclusion of Wi-Fi 6 -- also known as 802.11ax.

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Chrome OS has slowly become one of the most promising operating systems. What began life as a "glorified web browser" has grown to also run Android apps and traditional Linux programs. At the same time, Windows 10 has declined in quality, causing many users to lose faith in Microsoft's operating system. For education in particular, school districts are increasingly turning to Google's Chromebooks rather than devices running Windows 10.

Today, ASUS unveils four new Chrome OS devices for the education market. Three of them (C403, C204, and Flip C214) are laptops, with one of them (the Flip) being a convertible -- meaning it can fold into a tablet. In addition, there is a traditional tablet (CT100). While Chrome OS tablets are fairly unproven, the ability to run Android apps makes them quite useful.

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Windows 10 is hardly a perfect operating system, but it is undeniably the best option for business users -- especially when paired with the excellent Microsoft Office. True, some professional users can get by with a traditional Linux workstation and LibreOffice (or a Chromebook with web-based productivity apps), but if business success is your goal in 2019 -- computing ideology be damned -- you can't go wrong with Windows.

Acer has a new business laptop that is sure to delight professionals. The "TravelMate X3410," as it is called, is svelte and beautiful while having all the ports a pro will need, such as USB-A, USB-C, Ethernet, HDMI, and VGA. While home users may no longer need VGA, it is handy to have for business users -- many offices still utilize VGA-only projectors, for instance. Best of all, it offers incredible battery life while having an affordable starting price.

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Tomorrow is New Year's Eve in America (and other countries that use the Gregorian calendar), meaning many people will be out partying with friends and family. Me? I like to stay in and watch Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on TV while eating some tasty snacks and drinking Perrier. True, the television broadcast is not as good since Mr. Clark died, and Ryan Seacrest is insufferable, but I am a creature of habit, I suppose.

In China and other parts of the world, the Lunar New Year is followed instead, with the holiday often happening in January or February. The Chinese assign an animal to represent the year, and on February 5 2019, it will officially start "The Year of the Pig." Microsoft has created a new Windows 10 theme to commemorate the upcoming occasion. In other words, the company is using a pig theme to try and put lipstick on the "oinker" that is its terrible operating system.

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