Brian Fagioli

Consumer 64-bit processors have been around for a long time now -- AMD began selling the Athlon 64, for instance, way back in 2003. Windows XP Professional x64 Edition was released by Microsoft in 2005. I was an early adopter at the time, buying that first-ever Athlon 64 and later running that aforementioned version of Windows.

I say all of that because I am shocked that in 2017 it is considered news if a company starts offering a 64-bit version of its Windows software by default. Well, folks, that is exactly what is happening today. Mozilla will now serve 64-bit Firefox by default to 64-bit Windows users when downloading from the web. In other words, if the user agent reports a 64-bit version of Windows, the webpage will offer 64-bit Firefox first. Users of 32-bit Windows will, of course, still be served the 32-bit Firefox variant.

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SATA is so out of style. Nowadays, all the cool kids are using much-faster NVMe PCIe-based solid state drives that utilize either U.2 or M.2 connectors; I prefer the latter, but I digress. Of course, to maximize the performance of these ultra-fast drives, you will not only need the appropriate connectors, but PCIe 3.0 too. If you don't have the correct connector, all is not lost. Thanks to PCIe adapter cards, you might able to add compatibility to your system without the need of a new motherboard.

While M.2 adapter cards are very commonplace, U.2 variants are not. Today, StarTech is back with another very useful product -- the U.2 to PCIe Drive Adapter Expansion Card. If you don't have a U.2 connector port, but do have a PCIe 3.0 x4 or higher slot, this card will allow you to connect a compatible drive at top speed. It will work with PCIe 1.0 and 2.0 too, albeit at much slower speeds. You can mount the 2.5-inch U.2 drive (15mm, 12.5mm, 9.5mm, 7mm, and 5mm height) directly on the card, meaning there are no unsightly cables.

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Many pundits decry the use of emoji as contributing to the decline of advanced communications. While I understand that view, the criticism is quite overblown. Actually, one of the biggest pain points of text-based communication is a lack of context and emotion. In other words, emails and text messages can often be misinterpreted, potentially leading to arguments and misunderstandings. Emoji can remedy that, by improving upon modern language. How? Well, for example, a wink ? can help show when a person is joking.

Today, Google introduces a new way to insert emoji using its Gboard keyboard -- with voice dictation. While it's cool to have another way to insert emoji, this voice method might be tedious. After all, there are so many emoji nowadays, that it would probably be easier to just use your hands and scroll through them rather than trying to remember every voice command. For someone with a handicap that must rely on voice, however, this could be something amazing.

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Twitch used to just be a platform for people to stream themselves playing video games. While it still is used for that, it has evolved to be much more, such as vlogging and general interactions. The Amazon-owned company is wise to expand, as it betters its competition abilities with the monster that is YouTube. Google's service is insanely popular, but as more and more content creators grow tired of YouTube's heavy-handed antics, they will look for somewhere else to go. That somewhere is Twitch for many.

YouTube is largely a web browser affair on the desktop, while on Android and iOS, Google produces solid mobile apps. Twitch has decided to take the app approach on the desktop too, as there are now apps for both Windows 10 and macOS.

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While streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify are all the rage nowadays, they aren't necessarily enough. Independent artists aren't always served well by the aforementioned services. A platform like SoundCloud can be preferable, allowing an artist to experiment and share songs with fans more directly. It is even a great way to discover emerging artists.

Sadly, there have been rumors for a while that SoundCloud could eventually shut down. You see, while the platform is beloved by many, it doesn't exactly generate profits. Well, those fears can be quelled for now, as SoundCloud has received an influx of cash from two investors -- "The Raine Group" and "Temasek." In other words, it can crawl out of the prematurely-dug grave. While this is great news, it doesn't guarantee the platform is destined for a long life. In addition, the current CEO of SoundCloud is stepping aside, although not leaving entirely.

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Hip-Hop isn't a music style, but an entire culture. It includes rap music, yes, but also graffiti, breakdancing, and DJing. Not to mention, there is clothing, language, and more. As the great KRS-One once said, "Rap is something you do, Hip-Hop is something you live." Very true words. Hip-Hop has positively improved society as a whole, by fostering the sharing of different viewpoints, and bringing people of different cultures and skin colors together. It started in New York, but has spread globally.

Google is a very forward-thinking company, and it often shows respect to different people and cultures through its Doodle program. If you aren't familiar, this is where it transforms the "Google" logo into an artistic representation of someone or something. Today, Hip-Hop is in the spotlight because August 11, 1973 is considered by some to be the day the culture was born. The search giant is using the Doodle to both educate people on the history of Hip-Hop and to celebrate the anniversary. In other words, Google is showing mad love.

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Earlier today, Consumer Reports caused a huge controversy by pulling its "recommended" status from all Microsoft Surface laptops and tablets. While I personally swear by the consumer-focused organization for its coverage of vehicles and appliances, I take its computer coverage with a grain of salt. After all, it infamously panned the 2016 MacBook Pro for poor battery life, even going so far as to say Chrome provided longer usage than Safari -- totally wrong, by the way. It turns out Consumer Reports's testing of the MacBook Pro was flawed and it later reversed course, recommending the Apple laptop after all.

With all of that said, I was obviously a bit dubious of its criticism of some Surface machines. In my experience, the Surface hardware is extremely well made and owners are generally satisfied with the computers. That's not to say they are perfect -- quite the contrary. Actually, they have been prone to bugs that were later fixed (mostly) with firmware and driver updates. Despite those issues, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any Surface product. Obviously Microsoft and Panos Panay -- father of Surface -- would share my disagreement with Consumer Reports. To solidify that, Panay has now penned a response titled "We stand behind Surface."

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USB-C is everywhere nowadays. You can find it on smartphones, desktops, and laptops. Heck, I recently reviewed an amazing router that leverages the connector for power! Even lower-end laptops are getting in on it, such as the Acer Chromebook 11 C771.

The beauty of this connector, besides it being reversible, is that it can support many dongles, adding support for devices you need now, plus future products too. Today, Satechi launches two new such dongles, both of which are made with aluminum. One is a VGA adapter, while the other offers Gigabit Ethernet.

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AMD has been making all the right moves lately, both with CPU and GPU. Its Ryzen processors offer amazing performance without breaking the bank, while the RX 500 series of graphics cards are solid performers for both gaming and the increasingly popular crypto mining.

What has PC builders truly excited, however, is the Ryzen Threadripper processors. These chips are multi-core monsters. Heck, they are even physically larger than most processors. Seriously, folks, these things are beasts; the top model has an impressive 32 threads! Well, the wait is now over -- today, AMD officially launches Threadripper. And yeah, if you are planning to build a new PC, you want it.

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Apple recently removed some VPN clients from the App Store in China at the request of the Chinese Government. Why? That country is largely anti-privacy, and it does not want its citizens bypassing its censorship of the web. If you live in China, the government can decide what you can and can't view online. If you get caught circumventing these controls, the government can harshly punish you. Sad, right? This is why it is imperative that Linux-based privacy-centric open source operating systems such as Tails continue their development -- you never know when it might be needed (including in the USA).

If you aren't familiar with Tails, please know that it is a "Live" Linux distro that focuses on security and privacy. In other words, it can potentially cover your tracks from heavy-handed governments and other entities. Today, Tails achieve a minor point update, making the newest stable version 3.1. While it is hardly monumental from a feature perspective, it is urgent that all users upgrade as some serious vulnerabilities have been patched.

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My love for Fractal Design cases is well documented. Most recently, I -- and other members of the PC building community -- went gaga over the "Define C TG" chassis series from the company, as it featured good looks, solid design, and a beautiful tempered glass window. You really can't go wrong with a Fractal Design case, as it should last you many years without breaking the bank. The designs are evergreen, as the company does not follow the fleeting style du jour.

Today, Fractal Design launches yet another case, and once again, it looks like a winner. The "Meshify C," as it is called, is true to its name, as it features, well, a lot of mesh. The company has designed this chassis to be the pinnacle of cooling, with plenty of mesh, fan mounting options, and the potential for excellent cable management. Of course, it looks sexy too, particularly thanks to a beautiful tinted tempered glass window

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I absolutely love Chromebooks. Well, not for me exactly, but I love suggesting them to other people when appropriate. While they aren't for everybody, they are brilliant when they can meet a user's needs. The underlying Chrome OS operating system is based on Linux and is extremely secure. In fact, it can be argued that Google's laptop operating system is the most secure OS for web browsing. If you are tired of fixing either a friend or family member's Windows 10 PC, and they live in a web browser, get them on a Chromebook and get some of your time -- and sanity -- back.

Today, Acer unveils a new laptop running Chrome OS. The "Chromebook 11 C771," as it is called, is designed primarily for education (where they really shine), plus as thin clients for businesses too. The notebook features an 11.6-inch display with optional touch, and up to 13 hours battery life. Since it is designed primarily for students, and they can be rough on computers, the C771 has military grade (MIL-STD 810G) durability and a spill-resistant keyboard. It can even survive a 4 foot drop.

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There has been a lot of excitement in the processor market lately, but unfortunately for Intel, it has largely been an AMD affair. Don't misunderstand me; I am not saying Intel has been absent -- quite the contrary. What I mean to say is, as consumers awaited substantial news from Intel, the excitement has been focused on Threadripper.

This focus may shift soon, however, as today, Intel announces that its 8th generation Core processors are on the way. In fact, the company plans to officially launch the next-gen chips on August 21 -- the same day as the upcoming solar eclipse. The video platform on which the processors will be unveiled is interesting too -- Intel is leveraging Facebook Live.

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Solid state drives are all the rage nowadays, but as fast as they are, they don't often compare to mechanical hard drives from a capacity standpoint. Heck, my pricey MacBook Pro came with a very fast NVMe drive, but with a mere 256GB of storage. This is quite paltry when cheap laptops using a HDD can often exceed four times that capacity. Of course, there is a big speed tradeoff, making the smaller capacity preferable to some. It stinks that many consumers have to choose between a fast yet small SSD or a slow and roomy HDD.

What if consumers didn't have to choose though? A new NVMe SSD series from Micron, dubbed 9200, offers both extreme speed and monstrous capacity. How much storage, you ask? Up to 11TB! The drive is more focused for businesses, however, as it will likely be priced well out of reach of the average consumer. In other words, it isn't designed for your fancy gaming rig, but instead, servers. Still, it is exciting to think that these large capacity SSDs will trickle down to consumers eventually.

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Now is a very exciting time to be an Ubuntu user. The upcoming 17.10 version of the Linux-based operating system -- codenamed "Artful Aardvark" -- is coming in October with a new desktop environment -- GNOME. That's right, Canonical has decided to kill the Unity environment, making the new version something very exciting. While some people will mourn Unity, it is the right move.

Being that we are already in August, the clock is starting to tick for Canonical, meaning it really needs to get everything running properly if it wants a smooth user experience with 17.10 in October. On August 24 and 25, the Ubuntu Desktop team will be holding a "Fit and Finish Sprint," where they will aggressively test GNOME. Canonical is also asking the Ubuntu community to help with this process. In other words, you might be able to assist with making Artful Aardvark even better. What makes this particularly cool, however, is that Canonical will be selecting some community members to visit its London office on August 24 between 4pm and 9pm.

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