Brian Fagioli

It still seems unreal, but yes, you can install Linux distributions from the Microsoft Store on Windows 10. This remains shocking for many people (including me), as Microsoft was a longtime enemy of both open source and Linux. Of course, that is no longer true, as the Windows-maker embraces both nowadays.

Today, yet another Linux distribution comes to the Microsoft Store for Windows 10, joining such favorites as SUSE and Ubuntu. While not as popular as those two, Kali Linux is still an important distro, as it focuses on security and penetration testing.

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Back in the day, Microsoft was definitely not an open company. Quite frankly, its guarded and secretive behavior tended to annoy many consumers. Its closed nature also lended to conspiracy theories -- some folks felt they couldn't trust the seemingly big and scary corporation.

While those feelings still exist a bit (ahem, Windows 10 telemetry), it has largely changed under the leadership of Satya Nadella. The CEO has transformed the company into a much more transparent one. The Windows Insiders program, for instance, was born during his tenure. That program pulled back the curtain and let Windows users peek a bit at how the proverbial sausage was being made. Today, Microsoft announces yet another initiative to be more open with its customers, this time for Xbox.

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Ever since I bought my 2016 MacBook Pro, I have been obsessed with Thunderbolt 3 docks. Why? Because I like to use my laptop as a desktop when I am home. I need to connect a monitor, keyboard, mouse, external hard drive, USB webcam, and more. A TB3 docking station allows me to easily connect all these things to my MacBook Pro with a single cable, while also charging it. This solution works with compatible Windows machines too.

Today, StarTech launches the Thunderbolt 3 Dual-4K Docking Station with SD Card Slot and it looks amazing. As the name implies, it can push two 4K monitors -- one using its DisplayPort, and the other with an included (and optional) USB-C to DisplayPort cable. In addition to dual-4K, it can also handle a single 5K display. Also indicated by the product name, there is an SD card slot on the front. This is very much appreciated, as the MacBook Pro has no such card reader.

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If you want the most powerful video game console, you should buy the Xbox One X. If you want the absolute best media player on the market, buy the Xbox One X. Yes, Microsoft's console is a wonderful device, allowing 4K video streaming, 4K Blu-ray playback, and 4K gaming. PlayStation 4 Pro cannot match the power or capabilities. You really can't go wrong buying Xbox One X.

There is one big downside to the Xbox One X, however -- its price tag. Having the best entertainment device will not come cheap. As they say, you must pay to play, and in this case, playing will cost you $500! That price is totally justified given its capabilities and specs, but it is still a hard pill to swallow. If you have been on the fence, Microsoft has a new promotion that might get you to pull the trigger -- a second controller for free! Best of all, the savings are instant -- there are no silly rebate forms to fill out.

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A wireless router is probably the most important piece of technology in any household. After all, it is what connects devices to the internet. Hell, a recent study found that consumers consider the wireless router to be an essential product.

Unfortunately, choosing a wireless router these days can be quite hard. Not only are there many makes and models from which to choose, but they are available at many different price points. For the most part, expensive routers offer more speed and features than the average consumer truly needs. Ultimately, many people end up spending more money than necessary. As a solution to this dilemma, D-Link launches the affordable DIR-867 AC1750 MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Router, and consumers should definitely take a look. It offers a nice balance of speed, features, and cost.

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Many people have dreams of becoming a famous musician. As a teenager, I took some guitar lessons, found out I had no talent, and ultimately gave up.

Thanks to computers, however, any nincompoop can become a musician -- including me. Don’t have a good voice? Auto-tune, baby! Can’t play an instrument? No worries. Google has a new web app called "Song Maker" that can turn you into the next Tom Jones.

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Want to know a secret? Samsung’s flagship Galaxy smartphones take excellent photos and videos. Oh wait, that’s not a secret -- it’s common knowledge and undeniable fact. Regardless of your opinions of Samsung, or Android, you must accept that its top smartphones are some of the best -- if not the best -- for photography. Sorry, iPhone fans, y’alls devices are great in this regard too, but slightly below Galaxy.

How great are Samsung Galaxy smartphones at taking photos and video? Well, today we can answer that question definitively, as the company’s new Galaxy S9+ earns the highest DxOMark score in the history of mankind! Well, since DxOMark began handing out such ratings at least.

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In many households and small businesses, there are gigabit Ethernet devices in use. Believe it or not, most of them are not being used to their full potential. Why? Well, most internet providers don't offer service that can saturate it. Where 1Gbps hardware can be beneficial, however, is for sharing files between hardwired devices on a network, such as PCs and NAS. With the prevalence of Wi-Fi, that is largely a rarity these days.

With all of that said, there are cases where 1Gbps connections are being used fully by home and business users. On top of that, sometimes even more speed is desired. Luckily, cards capable of 10Gbps are becoming both more popular and affordable. Today, QNAP launches the QXG-10G1T -- a 10GBASE-T PCI-E network interface controller for QNAP NAS devices plus Windows and Linux computers.

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With the Linux community being rather fragmented, it’s nice to know there are some organizations that aim to unify it. The Linux Foundation is one such group that has done a lot of good for the overall community. It does a great job of bringing companies -- such as Microsoft, Samsung, and AMD, to name a few -- into the Linux fold as official foundation members.

When a company becomes a Linux Foundation member, there are different tiers that can be chosen, such as Platinum, Gold, and Silver. These levels carry different annual fees. Today, The Linux Foundation announces the newest Gold member -- Oath. If you aren’t familiar with Oath, please know it is a Verizon subsidiary that is comprised of assets such as AOL, Yahoo, and more.

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When it comes to keyboards, it can be hard for manufacturers to truly create something revolutionary. For the most part, new keyboards just get silly things like RGB lighting, because, well, everything must have lights these days, right? This lack of innovation is sort of OK, because let's be honest, folks -- existing keyboards are already rather wonderful. With that said, my colleague Mark Wycislik-Wilson recently reviewed a rather unique keyboard from AZIO that looks pretty cool.

Last year, Logitech decided to take a stab at creating an innovative new keyboard, and not surprisingly, it succeeded. I was not surprised, because that company is known for well-executed products. The innovative keyboard to which I refer is simply called "Craft" and its revolutionary aspect has nothing to do with typing. Actually, it is the useful rotating "crown" that adds additional control over compatible apps. Unfortunately, that was the rub -- only a small number of apps (albeit great ones such as Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop) were supported. Today, however, Logitech announces support for even more apps like Adobe Lightroom Classic CC and Quicktime. Arguably more significant, there is now an official SDK on GitHub.

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As the maker of Windows, Office, and Xbox, Microsoft is undoubtedly against software piracy. When people pirate its games and other software, it arguably takes money out of the company’s pockets.

Believe it or not though, Microsoft is actually promoting piracy! No, not software piracy, but traditional piracy, like with actual pirates. Well, the historical/make-believe type at least. You know, peg legs, eye patches, parrots and such. You see, today it announces the Xbox One S Sea Of Thieves Bundle.

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Back in the day, external storage capacity was quite minuscule compared to what is on the market now. Believe it or not, there was once a time where a 1.44 MB floppy was seen as huge. Zip disks eventually brought 100MB, while optical media delivered even more. USB flash drives and memory cards started out low on capacity, but these days, they offer hundreds of gigabytes in tiny form factors. Modern flash media doesn't just offer a ton of capacity, but super speed too.

Today, SanDisk -- a Western Digital company -- announces the 400GB Extreme UHS-I microSDXC card. What really makes this card special, however, is not its capacity, but its speed. The company claims it is the world's fastest UHS-I card. How fast is it? It offers 160MB/s read speed. Write performance is less impressive at "just" 90MB/s.

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Sadly, YouTube has a problem with cancerous content and fake news these days, but it is still a great platform for family-friendly creators too. Ultimately, Google’s video platform remains a staple on the web despite recent controversies. Thankfully, the company is working hard to fight against this deluge of negative content.

One of the best aspects of YouTube is the live streaming functionality. This allows content creators to better interact with fans by providing a live environment -- not just pre-recorded and edited videos. Today, Google announces that it is making live streaming even better, with things like IFTTT (If This, Then That) support for Super Chats and the ability to add location tags to streams.

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The days when smartphone announcements were exciting are long gone. While there used to be new features about which to get excited, the market has transitioned to an evolutionary one. Once a year, we are treated to better processors, cameras, and other specifications. I hate to say this, but it is much like the PC market and its ho-hum yearly reveals. A new Intel Core generation? Yawn! When you upgrade your smartphone these days, you really aren't getting a new experience.

While that all sounds depressing, it is arguably a good thing. Look, smartphones are great, and maybe now consumers can be satisfied with what they already have rather than constantly looking to upgrade. As an example, today, Samsung announces its latest and greatest Android flagships -- the Galaxy S9 and S9+. They look great, but that is probably because aesthetically, they are almost identical to their predecessors. In fact, no one with an S8 or S8+ should even bother considering an upgrade.

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Nowadays, many manufacturers seem to think all speakers should contain a virtual assistant. Yeah, having Siri, Cortana, Google, or Alexa can be convenient, but not everyone wants one of them integrated into their speakers. From a privacy perspective, these always-listening assistants can be a nightmare. Not to mention, these virtual "beings" can complicate something that should be very straightforward and relaxing -- listening to music. The largely panned (non-portable) $350 HomePod, for instance, doesn't currently support Bluetooth and only works with Apple Music.

That's one of the reasons I was intrigued by the JBL Boombox -- no gosh darn integrated assistant or lock-in. As the name implies, it is a throwback to boomboxes of yesteryear, but it is on a much higher level. Rather than play cassettes, CD, or FM radio, it connects with Bluetooth so you can play tunes from your smartphone, tablet, or other device. Because it has a handle, you can walk down the street while blasting your favorite music or just easily transport it between locations. Be warned -- it is quite heavy.

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