Brian Fagioli

If you want a Windows 10 laptop, you can do much better than Microsoft's buggy Surface devices. Companies such as Dell, Lenovo, and HP make some excellent notebooks these days. I mean, look, Microsoft's homegrown computers aren't totally bad, but they are a bit overpriced and historically have had terrible bugs and driver issues. For a while, the much-respected Consumer Reports refused to recommend the computers -- something on which they've recently done a "180."

Today, with surprisingly little fanfare in New York City, Microsoft unveiled some new Surface devices, including the Surface Pro 6 -- a tablet with a floppy keyboard that needs to die already. The true star of the Surface line these days is the unimaginatively named Surface Laptop -- a surprisingly decent computer. Microsoft has upgraded the laptop's internals, given it a new color (black), and put the number 2 at the end of its name. Unfortunately, Surface Laptop 2 is a tragically boring upgrade -- very slight evolution instead of revolution.

Continue reading →

Android smartphones are largely all the same these days. I mean, look, they are rectangular slabs that can run apps, surf the web, and take photos. Sure, specifications can vary, but for the most part, all modern Android phones are powerful enough to all run apps wonderfully. With that said, why would you spend a fortune on one? If you can score a solid smartphone without breaking the bank, you totally should!

If you want an elegant and inexpensive Android phone, look no further than Honor. That is Huawei's budget-friendly brand, but you know what? Low cost does not mean low quality. Today, the company officially launches the Honor 8X -- a drop-dead gorgeous Android smartphone with very respectable internals and a huge 6.5 inch display. Much like the iPhone Xs, you can unlock the device with your face, but unlike Apple's offering, it also has a fingerprint reader -- nice! Believe it or not, the Honor 8X even has a 3.5mm audio jack -- crazy, right? I guess Honor isn't as courageous as Apple! And yes, it has a notch, because... why notch?

Continue reading →

For a while, it was hard to find a decent Thunderbolt 3 docking station. Oh, there were plenty of USB-C docks, but believe me, other than sharing a connector type, they are nowhere near as good as TB3 variants. From my experience, USB-C models can be a bit problematic -- especially with macOS.

Nowadays, however, there are many Thunderbolt 3 docks on the market. Today, Accell -- a company known for selling quality products at affordable prices -- launches a TB3 dock that looks quite beautiful and futuristic. Rather than being a simple rectangle, it slopes downward on the front. This is not just for looks -- it is designed to prop up the laptop for better viewing and typing angles.

Continue reading →

Just yesterday, we shared with you the official Ubuntu Linux 18.10 Cosmic Cuttlefish wallpaper. And yeah, while it looks cool, it's not as exciting as, say, a Beta release of the upcoming operating system. Today, that is exactly what we get.

If you like to run pre-release Linux-based operating systems for fun -- which I do -- you can download the ISO immediately. With Ubuntu, these late-stage Beta releases are usually very stable. After all, the final version will drop next month. So while you should install it at your own risk, I would say you are probably safe with it.

Continue reading →

Twice a year, a new version of Ubuntu is released -- in April and October. We are currently in September, meaning a new release is just around the corner. As per normal naming guidelines (YY.MM), it will be version 18.10. In addition to a number, Canonical assigns a fun name too -- based on an animal, alphabetically, preceded by a word that starts with the same letter. In this case, Ubuntu 18.04 is using the letter "C." What is it called? Cosmic Cuttlefish.

The name and version number is only part of the tradition, however, In addition, Canonical releases a special wallpaper based on the name. The animal is often a line drawing with the background using the classic Ubuntu magenta/orange gradient color. Today, on Twitter, Canonical unveils the official Cosmic Cuttlefish wallpaper.

Continue reading →

When you buy a System76 computer today, you aren't buying a machine manufactured by the company. Instead, the company works with other makers to obtain laptops, which it then loads with a Linux-based operating system -- Ubuntu or its own Pop!_OS. There's nothing really wrong with this practice, but still, System76 wants to do better. The company is currently working to manufacture its own computers ("handcrafted") right here in the USA! By doing this, System76 controls the entire customer experience -- software, service, and hardware.

Today, the company announces that the fruits of its labor --  an "open-source computer" -- will be available to pre-order in October. Now, keep in mind, this does not mean the desktop will be available next month. Hell, it may not even be sold in 2018. With that said, pre-ordering will essentially allow you to reserve your spot. To celebrate the upcoming computer, System76 is launching a clever animated video marketing campaign.

Continue reading →

Microsoft makes many good decisions, but unfortunately, it pulls a lot of boners too. I mean, Windows 8... need I say more? I do? oh, OK. Bob, Kin, Windows Phone -- you get the idea.

One area where Microsoft does a lot of good is with Xbox. Quite frankly, it is very impressive that the Windows-maker is so successful in the gaming market. Granted, Sony is doing much better with PlayStation 4, but I digress. Unfortunately, Microsoft is making a huge mistake with a recent announcement -- mouse and keyboard support for Xbox One.

Continue reading →

Thanks to Apple's courageous (kidding!) act of removing the 3.5mm headphone jack from the iPhone, more and more consumers are opting for Bluetooth headphones these days. True, unlike wired variants, they do need to be charged, but their convenience can make up for this deficiency. Exercisers and other active folks can workout more comfortably, without fear of getting wires stuck on equipment -- dangerous for the wearer and any device to which the headphones are attached.

The problem? Many Bluetooth headphones are trash. Amazon is littered with cheap no-name offerings that are of low-quality which should be avoided. Instead, consumers would be wise to invest in quality Bluetooth headphones from a reputable manufacturer. Today, one such quality company -- Jaybird -- announces its latest product. Called "Tarah," these Bluetooth Wireless Sport Headphones are surprisingly affordable at less than $100.

Continue reading →

If you are going to use Linux on the desktop, you might as well use Fedora. Why? Well, it is a pure open source experience. I mean, why switch from Windows to a distro that isn't entirely focused on FOSS? You should go all in! Not to mention, it uses very modern packages while retaining stability. Oh, and it uses the best overall desktop environment, GNOME, by default. It's no wonder the father of Linux, Linus Torvalds, uses it.

The next version of the operating system is Fedora 29, and today, it achieves Beta status. It features updated packages, improved support for Raspberry Pi, and more.

Continue reading →

As a suburbanite homeowner, nothing brings me more joy than having a nice yard. Yeah, it can be hard work to mow the lawn, rake leaves, and pull weeds, but it is totally worth it. Earlier this year, I even installed the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller to more intelligently water my grass, and I came away very impressed. Not only does it keep my lawn looking good, but it saves me money too. How? It knows to skip watering based on the weather -- no more running sprinklers in the rain!

Believe it or not, starting today, the Rachio 3 is getting even better. No, the company is not upgrading the hardware. Actually, it is improving thanks to all-new Apple HomeKit support! Yes, owners of iPhone, iPad, HomePod, or other Apple devices can now control Rachio 3 using either the HomeKit app or Siri.

Continue reading →

If you don't yet have a 4K TV, what the heck are you waiting for? Granted, a couple years back, these televisions were expensive and there was little 4K content, but in 2018, these are no longer true things. A 4K TV can be had without breaking the bank, while streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube offer videos using this ultra high definition format.

Today, Roku unveils two new 4K streaming media boxes that are surprisingly affordable. The "Premiere" and "Premiere+," as they are called, are priced low while also being quite capable. True, they forgo 802.11ac, but N wireless is more than fine.

Continue reading →

The solid state drive revolution is in full effect for home consumers. Whether you have a laptop or desktop, you should no longer have a mechanical hard drive -- especially for running your operating system. SSDs are more affordable than ever, plus, insanely fast too.

With so many SATA solid state drives on the market with similar specifications, how does a company make its offering stand out? RGB lights, of course! Yes, today, Hyperx launches the FURY RGB SSD with customizable lighting. In addition to this beautiful internal drive, the company is also launching an external model -- the SAVAGE EXO SSD.

Continue reading →

While the iPhone XS and XS Max look to be great smartphones, they are hardly revolutionary. In fact, as is customary with Apple's "S" models, they are simply evolutionary. This isn't a bad thing. Hell, for owners of prior iPhone devices, it is sort of a good thing -- there should be less of a desire to spend money on an upgrade. For instance, earlier this year, I chose the 8 Plus over the X, and none of the newest models (including the budget-friendly XR) have me chomping at the bit to spend my hard earned money on an upgrade.

One feature that got me to upgrade from the 6S Plus to the 8 Plus is wireless charging. I didn't have it before, and after buying the new iPhone, I did. Sadly, Apple still hasn't released its own such charging pad, so as more and more folks get iPhone devices with the capability, they must rely on third-party offerings. One such company that consistently releases quality accessories is Belkin, and to coincide with the release of the XS, XS Max, and Apple Watch Series 4, it announces the BOOST↑UP Wireless Charging Dock for iPhone + Apple Watch. Yes, as the name implies, it can wirelessly charge both an iPhone and Apple Watch.

Continue reading →

Why don’t more desktop computer users use Linux? Well, software compatibility aside, there is fear of change and the unknown. For a user to switch from Windows, it must be a fairly simple affair. For years, just installing a Linux-based operating system was a daunting task. These days, it can be faster and easier than installing Windows 10 -- depending on distro, of course.

For beginners, once installed, their chosen Linux distro should be easy to use with an intuitive desktop environment. I'm a big fan of GNOME, but understandably, not all folks like it -- especially Linux novices. One particular Linux-based desktop operating system has been focusing on accessibility to all -- elementary OS. This distro is polished and aims to be easy to use for both experts and beginners alike. Today, version 5.0 of the OS -- called "Juno" -- reaches Beta 2. Impressively, there have been over 200 fixes implemented since Beta 1.

Continue reading →

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive -- better known as CS:GO -- is one of the most popular multiplayer first-person shooters of all time. What makes the game so great is its meager system requirements -- it can run on many computers. In other words, it isn't very taxing, meaning you don't need super-expensive hardware to enjoy it. Are the graphics dated? Slightly, but lets be honest -- fun is the truly important thing.

Today, popular gaming accessory-maker SteelSeries launches a special CS:GO mouse and mousepad, both of which feature a design based on the M4A4 Howl gun skin. The "Howl Edition" Rival 310 gaming mouse and QcK+ mousepad are sure to be wildly popular with CS:GO gamers.

Continue reading →