Brian Fagioli

Last week, System76 started to share details about its refreshed Linux-powered Oryx Pro laptop. It would be thinner and more powerful, while adding twice the battery life of its predecessor. Unfortunately, we did not yet know exactly what the laptop looked like. Today, we finally have official images.

This new Oryx Pro is quite breathtaking, as it is a true Pro machine -- with the USB Type-A, Ethernet, and HDMI ports you expect -- while being just 19mm thin. It has the horsepower that power-users need, thanks to its 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10-Series GPU. Hey, Apple, this is what a "Pro" laptop should be...

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Notepad is a classic piece of software. It is the unsung hero of every Windows installation. If you want to jot down a quick note, it is a blank canvas awaiting your keystrokes. As a young man, I used Notepad to write my school papers. Microsoft Office was reserved for rich folks, and there was no LibreOffice -- or even Open Office -- yet. Even the no-frills Microsoft Works was priced out of my family's reach, but I digress.

As Microsoft turns its attention away from the wonderful Paint to focus on the terrible Photos and Paint 3D, you'd expect the company to forget about good ol' Notepad. Surprisingly, however, it hasn't. In fact, the Windows-maker today announces that Notepad on Windows 10 is getting both Linux and Mac line endings support. Wow -- this really is a new Microsoft...

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Google is a big supporter and user of Linux. Android, for instance, is the most popular Linux-based distribution in the world. Mobile aside, the search giant also leverages the open source kernel for its desktop operating system -- Chrome OS. While some Linux purists decry calling Google's operating systems "Linux," it simply cannot be denied. They are Linux.

I can understand some people suggesting traditional Linux distributions like Ubuntu or Fedora, but Chrome OS -- and the Chromebooks on which it runs -- is arguably more secure while also being easier to use. If I had to choose one operating system for accessing bank websites, for instance, I'd choose Chrome OS over any other. Unfortunately, its limited nature -- which makes it secure and easy to use -- also hinders power users. Sometimes a web or Android app just won't cut it. Well, folks, thankfully the rumors were true -- traditional Linux programs are coming to Chrome OS!

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Ubuntu 18.04 was released last month, and for the most part, it is a solid release. As per usual, version 18.04 was given a silly name -- Bionic Beaver. Canonical follows an alphabetic naming convention, where two words are used that start with that same letter. The first word tends to be an adjective or other descriptive word, while the second word is always an animal. And yes, it is all a bit silly.

With the upcoming Ubuntu 18.10 -- due in October -- the name will be based on the letter "C." Today, Mark Shuttleworth, founder and CEO of Canonical, reveals the next Ubuntu version name -- Cosmic Cuttlefish. Don't know what a cuttlefish is? It's that weird looking thing in the picture above.

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If you are a PC gamer, there are many ways to gain an edge -- such as upgrading components and accessories. A new GPU and mouse, for instance, can make a big difference. With console gaming you are much more limited -- you can't upgrade the CPU, GPU, or RAM. Some argue that is a good thing, as it levels the playing field, while others say a lack of upgradeability is a negative.

If you are an Xbox One gamer, however, there is a new piece of hardware that could give you an edge when playing online -- the Linksys WRT32XB 802.11ac wireless router. If you aren't familiar, this is a variant of the company's WRT32X gaming router where the firmware has been optimized for Xbox One (plus PCs using Killer networking). Linksys says it can detect Xbox traffic and reduce peak ping by up to 65 percent, and ultimately, reduce lag. If you are dubious of that claim, please know that Microsoft has certified this router as a part of the "Designed for Xbox" program. Today, the Linksys WRT32XB finally becomes available for purchase.

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The Huawei Mate 10 Pro is one of the best Android smartphones you can buy. Not only is it elegantly made, but it has top specifications, including a drool-worthy display. The camera even leverages artificial intelligence, making it one of the best picture-taking experiences on the market. Don't forget -- BetaNews is giving one of these amazing flagships away, so be sure to enter our giveaway here.

Only one person can win our contest, however, so if you really want a Mate 10 Pro, your best bet is to simply buy one. Thankfully, starting today, the Huawei flagship becomes more affordable. You see, from now through May 19, you can score one for a mere $649 -- that is $150 off the MSRP! Best of all, the phone is unlocked, so you can use it on any GSM carrier in the USA, such as T-Mobile and AT&T.

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Technology companies have been telling us virtual reality will change the world for decades now. While VR has become more popular in recent years, it is still a niche market. Virtual reality will probably become mainstream in the future, but until prices come down even further, it will remain a hobby for enthusiasts.

With that said, Google is still banking on virtual reality, especially with its Daydream initiative. Today, the search giant is making a VR positional-tracking tool called "Seurat" open source. The code is being hosted on GitHub.

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When a person celebrates a birthday, they often receive gifts, eat cake, and spend time with friends and family. After all, it is intended to be a happy occasion as the person marks another year of life.

But what the heck does a Linux distribution do to celebrate a birthday? In the case of the excellent KaOS operating system, the answer is simple -- release an updated ISO. Yes, as a way to mark the 5th birthday of the KDE-focused distro, version 2018.04 is now available for download. You get Plasma 5.12.4, Linux kernel 4.15.7, Libreoffice 6.0.3, and more.

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Linux Mint is a pretty good Linux distribution. Many people love it because of the Cinnamon desktop environment. Hell, despite having other DE versions -- such as Mate -- the Linux Mint operating system sort of exists only because of Cinnamon. I mean, look -- Mint is based on Ubuntu, so if you want to use Mate or Xfce environments, for instance, why not just run Ubuntu Mate or Xubuntu?

The thing is, Cinnamon is available to any distro that wants to use it -- it is not only a Linux Mint affair. Since the Mint team both maintains and popularized Cinnamon, however, it will be forever thought of as a Mint DE -- right or wrong. And that is why today's announcement is so puzzling -- Cinnamon 3.8 is now available (yay!), but no Linux Mint users can try it (boo!).

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Earlier today, LG revealed its latest Android flagship smartphone. It is called the "G7 ThinQ" and oh wow, it looks damn nice! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised -- LG has long made impressive smartphones. With the exception of the fairly terrible LG G5, both its "G" and "V" series have been consistently great.

This new G7 ThinQ has something that may annoy you, however -- a notch. Yeah, all the manufacturers seem to be copying the iPhone X in this regard. It's a very polarizing topic -- some folks like a notch, while others hate it. Me? I don't really care either way, to be honest. LG has taken a cool approach to handling the notch on the G7 ThinQ, however. You see, using software trickery, you can make the notch disappear -- sort of. The top of the screen gets filled in with black, so it appears there is no notch. Some may call this gimmicky. I call it clever. And it is.

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While many companies seem to focus on a race to the bottom these days, offering low-cost and low-quality devices, Huawei has taken a much different approach. You see, Huawei makes extremely elegant tech products that are also affordable. If you buy one of its tablets, laptops, or smartphones, you will be in for a treat. They are well-designed and won't break the bank. Quite frankly, you can tell the company truly cares about what it produces -- Huawei wants its customers to be delighted, and it succeeds.

The Huawei Mate 10 Pro is a favorite of mine. I have been testing the Android smartphone recently and I am very impressed by the build quality, performance, and exceptional camera. With Mother's Day soon approaching, it's definitely a device you should consider buying for your mom. If she has been wanting a new smartphone, the Mate 10 Pro will make her very happy. If you can't afford a new smartphone for your mother this year, do not worry -- we here at BetaNews are giving one away!

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These days, thanks to smartphones and tablets, consumers are quite adept at typing on glass. Believe it or not, this was not an easy transition. Many early smartphones had physical keyboards, making typing a better experience. Ultimately, screen real estate won out, and consumers preferred all-screen devices, such as the iPhone.

Unfortunately, while typing on a touch screen smartphone is very doable, it isn't exactly a comfortable or productive affair. When possible, most people would probably prefer to use a larger physical keyboard. Battery-powered Bluetooth keyboards make this possible, and one model in particular -- the Logitech Keys-To-Go -- is extremely portable, making it easy to throw in a bag. Today, Logitech unveils three new color options for this popular product.

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Yesterday was all about Windows 10. Microsoft released its latest major version, called "April 2018 Update," and it is actually quite good -- for Windows, that is. Linux users won't likely care about that, however, as today there is an arguably more important operating system release -- Fedora 28. Yes, following an official Beta release, the distribution of choice for Linus Torvalds -- the father of Linux -- becomes available today.

Fedora 28 has many new features, but one in particular will surely excite desktop/workstation users -- GNOME 3.28, which introduces Thunderbolt 3 support and improved laptop battery life. Fedora has long used GNOME as the default desktop environment, and best of all, it is mostly a stock affair -- no silly tweaks enabled by default. In other words, you get a very pure GNOME experience, making Fedora Workstation the preferred OS for many hardcore fans of the DE.

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If you have ever experienced spotty or weak Wi-Fi coverage in your home, you know just how frustrating it can be. Look, like it or not, we all crave to be connected to the internet at all times these days. When we can't connect, it can feel like pure misery (first-world problems, I know). Yeah, you can buy range extenders or run Ethernet cable, but that can be a pain in the butt.

Thankfully, mesh networking is here to save the day. If you aren't familiar, this is is where several access points are used simultaneously to blanket a home in Wi-Fi. Then, your devices will seamlessly connect to the closest/strongest access point automatically -- you don't have to manually select them when moving about. Linksys has its own such solution called "Velop," and today, it announces a new lower-cost dual-band variant which joins its existing tri-band offering.

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Thanks to 4K video recording, movie files are getting much larger. I recently bought an iPhone 8 Plus 64GB and was excited to use the 4K60 functionality. While it worked well, I very quickly ran out of available storage, making it an overall poor experience. While 4K is great, 64GB of storage just won't cut it.

Samsung has finally seen the light, and today, it announces that it will be selling both the Galaxy S9 and S9+ with 128GB and 256GB storage options. This will make 4K video recording a much better experience. Video aside, it will also allow more apps, music, games, and other file types. Best of all, micro SD expandability remains.

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