Brian Fagioli

People continue to be obsessed with technology and devices, and that is fine. But you know what? It is important to remember "Mother Nature" too. We only have one Earth, and the ability to relocate humanity to other planets or moons is very far off. In other words, it is important that we protect the environment, such as maintaining the extremely important National Parks.

Today, Apple announces that it is celebrating America's National Parks through two new initiatives. The iPhone-maker is leveraging both Apple Pay and Apple Watch to get its users involved with our beautiful National Parks. In addition, the Apple App Store will feature National park-related apps,

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One of the best things about there being so many Linux distributions, is it can be fun to try them all. Believe it or not, "distro-hopping" is a legit hobby, where the user enjoys installing and testing various Linux-based operating systems and desktop environments. While Fedora is my reliable go-to distro, I am quite happy to try alternatives too. Hell, truth be told, I have more fun trying distributions than playing video games these days, but I digress.

A unique distribution I recommend trying is the Ubuntu-based Bodhi Linux. The operating system is lightweight, meaning it should run decently on fairly meager hardware. It uses a desktop environment called "Moksha" which is very straightforward. The Enlightenment 17 fork is a no-nonsense DE that both beginners and power users will appreciate. Today, version 5.0.0 finally becomes available. This follows a July release candidate.

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The world is a terrible place right now. In Pennsylvania, it was revealed that thousands of children were allegedly abused by Catholic priests over several decades. The President of the United States -- who some say is mentally unstable -- has been separating immigrant children from their parents. Mr. Trump -- who should be a role model -- is also calling human beings dogs on Twitter. In Florida, red tide is killing precious marine life, such as manatees and dolphins. Shockingly, all of that negative news is just from the USA! There are many other horrific things happening in other countries.

With all of this going on, it can be hard to get out of bed in the morning. Thankfully, Google is here to save our sanity and hopefully lessen our negative news-driven depression.. The search giant has added a new experimental feature to Google Assistant called "Tell me something good." As you can imagine, the feature is quite literal -- the user asks the voice assistant for some positive news stories. If you say "Hey Google, tell me something good," you will be reminded that the world isn't all bad through a rundown of "good news."

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Yeah, there are way too many Linux distributions these days. You know what, though? Many of them are great! True, it is probably a waste of resources, but as long as high-quality distros are being released, who really cares?

One such excellent Linux-based desktop operating system is the beautiful deepin. Today, that OS reaches version 15.7. The distribution features significant performance improvements, a new laptop battery saving mode, a reduced ISO image size (nearly 20 percent), and better memory optimization. Owners of laptops with Nvidia hybrid graphics will appreciate improved compatibility thanks to NVIDIA-PRIME.

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When building a desktop gaming PC, there are many brands of RAM from which to choose. If you think "RAM is RAM" and the company producing it doesn't matter, think again. Cheap RAM can lead to some serious headaches -- for system builders, nothing is worse than an unstable computer that experiences random crashes. In other words, the cost savings by going with a no-name brand of memory simply isn't worth the aggravation.

There are a some specific brands of RAM by which I swear, such as G.SKILL and HyperX. Speaking of the latter, today, the Kingston gaming brand announces that its Predator DDR4 and DDR4 RGB RAM kits are getting both increased frequencies and storage capacities.

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Debian is one of the most important open source projects ever. The Debian Linux operating system is extremely popular in its own right, but also, it is used as the base for countless other distributions. Ubuntu, for instance -- one of the most-used distros -- is Debian-based. Even Linux Mint, which is based on Ubuntu, also has a Debian edition. Not to mention, Raspbian -- the official Raspberry Pi OS -- which is based on Debian too.

Today, Debian is celebrating a very important milestone -- a 25th birthday! Yes, it is seriously that old -- its development was announced on August 16, 1993. Hell, many of its current users weren't even born then!

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Storing files in the cloud is very convenient, but understandably, if they contain extremely sensitive information -- such as trade secrets -- you may not want to transmit them over the internet. For this, locally stored data is probably a better move. Of course, if possible, you should encrypt the storage drive. Encryption may even be required as a result of new laws and regulations such as California's Consumer Privacy Act and GDPR.

Software-based encryption for storage drives is better than nothing, but hardware-based is obviously superior. Apricorn has been producing hardware-encrypted USB drives for a while now, and they are very well respected. Today, the company unveils its latest such drive. Called "Aegis Secure Key 3NX," it uses 256-bit AES XTS hardware-encryption -- FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validation is pending. The successor to the well-received Secure Key 3z features a convenient keypad, making it easy to lock and unlock when needed.

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I'm not a Microsoft "hater" at all. With that said, I am not a fan of the state of Windows 10. The privacy issues alone are a reason to avoid the operating system, but that is hardly the only concern. For instance, Microsoft has been pre-loading tiles for games like Candy Crush and other apps -- a move that shows major disrespect towards its customers. Not to mention, the "Insiders" program is just a way for the company to get free beta testing -- Microsoft is all too happy to treat Windows 10 users as guinea pigs. It is all very shameful.

These days, if someone asks my advice on buying a computer, I recommend purchasing a Mac, Chromebook, or PC with a traditional desktop Linux distribution, such as Ubuntu. If you are happy with your current computer, but hate Windows 10, installing a Linux distro is very easy nowadays. I often suggest that Windows switchers try Zorin OS as it has a familiar interface. Today, that excellent operating system reaches version 12.4.

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When you own a Mac, there aren't many keyboards from which to choose. True, any USB or Bluetooth keyboard should work, but most are designed for Windows -- they are not labeled for macOS keys such as "function" and "command."

Apple's own keyboards are excellent, but not everyone likes the style. Not to mention, they are wildly expensive. Hilariously, Apple even charges a premium for the black models. Seriously, the company makes you pay more because of the color. Thankfully, there are some third parties that make quality Mac accessories that are more affordable. One such company, Macally, today announces a no-nonsense USB membrane keyboard designed for macOS. Called "XKEYLED," it features backlit keys for typing in the dark.

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Fortnite is a gaming phenomenon like the world has never seen before. Sure, there have been plenty of popular games before it, but Fortnite is a different beast -- its fans are extremely passionate about it. It generates insane amounts of money for its developer, Epic Games, too.

The game is coming to Android as a temporary Samsung exclusive, but then, it will become available to other devices too. Apparently, fans cannot wait, as they are searching for the game anyway, and sadly, installing fake versions. For phones that support expandable storage via microSD, HyperX today releases new gaming cards -- perfectly timed for Fortnite. Of course, it is also a great option for Nintendo Switch.

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Cloud storage rules -- especially when coupled with a local backup plan. Quite frankly, it is one of the best computing innovations of all time. How cool is it that you can easily backup important files to an offsite location? Let's be honest -- before the cloud, many computer and smartphone users didn't bother backing up at all. While many still do not, the cloud has definitely improved the situation through convenience and affordability.

I have long been a proponent of the cross-platform Dropbox, as it has really been the only major cloud storage company to offer Linux support. Google, for example -- which uses the Linux kernel for both Android and Chrome OS -- shamefully never brought its Drive cloud storage platform to traditional desktop Linux. Unfortunately, Dropbox is suddenly making the cloud rain poop on Linux users. In a shocking turn of events, it is dropping support for most file systems.

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With more and more people cutting the cord, streaming media devices such as Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV are continually gaining in popularity. This is in addition to smart televisions, which can include some of the same apps and functionality.

Roku boxes are a popular option not only because they are affordable, but also, they have access to the Roku Channel -- a totally free offering of popular movies and other media. If you don't own a Roku box, you cannot watch that complimentary content, right? Actually, starting today, anyone can view the movies online -- no Roku hardware needed!

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Next month, students across America will be returning to school. Whether K-12 or college, technology has become increasingly important in the classroom. It is for this reason that a laptop can be an essential tool for a learner.

Microsoft recently launched the Surface Go, and while the underpowered tablet looks like a decent enough option for students on a budget, let's be honest -- it isn't a true laptop. Its floppy keyboard (which is sold separately) means it is not sturdy on a lap. Not to mention, it is more of a secondary computer -- not a main PC. If you would rather equip the student in your life with a true computer, why not turn to Linux? After all, open source is the future of computing. System76 has a new back-to-school sale that makes buying a computer running Ubuntu or Pop!_OS much more affordable.

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If your laptop is low on storage space, adding an external storage drive is a great way to easily increase it overall. These USB drives are great for backup too. If anything happens to your computer's internal storage drive, it is nice knowing your important files are also stored on a separate external drive for peace of mind.

Thanks to solid state storage, these external drives are better than ever, as they have no moving parts. Compared to an external hard disk drive, the SSD is faster, uses less energy, and is less prone to breakage. Today, Fantom Drives launches its latest such portable SSD. Called "G-Force 3.1," it leverages USB 3.1 gen 2 and the Type-C connector. Best of all, the drive is extremely durable -- important when taking a drive on the go. 

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Apple didn't invent wireless smartphone charging. Actually, the iPhone-maker was far behind in this regard -- there were already many Android and Windows Phones with the capability. Hell, the Palm Pre had that feature all the way back in 2009! The iPhone didn't get it until 2017. Isn't Apple supposed to be a trendsetter?

And yet, despite being a laggard, as is typical with Apple, its use of Qi charging accelerated the standard's popularity. Shockingly, the comapny still doesn't sell its own such charging dock -- its own product has been delayed. Thankfully, there are plenty of third party wireless chargers that are iPhone compatible. Today, Logitech unveils a Qi wireless charger that is designed for the iPhone X, 8, and 8 Plus. Called "POWERED," it cradles the phone and props it up vertically. This eliminates the possibility of misalignment, which can cause a failure to charge. And yes, POWERED supports Apple's 7.5watt fast-charging.

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