Brian Fagioli

There are many discussions nowadays as to who is the best YouTuber. Many people stand by PewDiePie, but Jake Paul and his Team 10 squad are quickly becoming a force to recon with. Heck, even Jake's brother, Logan Paul, is delivering some amazing content lately. OK, before you get too mad, please know that I am being facetious. The Paul brothers are probably the worst thing on YouTube these days, but I'll confess that the drama surrounding them keeps me on the edge of my seat. Seeing Killa' Keemstar report on the latest foolishness by Jake and Logan on Drama Alert is pure gold.

If you want to share the latest videos by Jake, Logan, or any other YouTuber, Google has a new solution that you may appreciate. Rather than just send a link, you can share and discuss the video from within the YouTube app itself. Very cool.

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When you are working on a team -- whether large or small -- collaboration can be a huge pain point. Nowadays, there are more and more remote workers, meaning teammates aren't always in the same state or country, let alone the same office building. After all, there is talent all over the globe -- not just in a 30 mile radius surrounding your place of business. This is one of the reasons why chat solutions like Slack have gained in popularity.

Speaking from experience, many software solutions are quite deficient in maximizing productivity and collaboration. There are still many instances where employees duplicate work and find themselves working off of outdated document revisions. A new startup called "The Mad Botter" is hoping to change this with a new "Wonderland" themed artificial intelligence bot called "Alice." This isn't an entirely new platform, however, and that is a good thing. Instead, the bot ties into existing solutions, such as the aforementioned Slack, plus other services like Trello and GitHub.

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Smartphones have forever changed the photography market. While a standalone camera, such as a DSLR, may take a better photo, they can be a chore to carry and maintain. Not to mention, they can be very expensive. For many non-professional photographers, their phone is more than good enough. Heck, some people claim an iPhone, for example, can rival dedicated cameras.

Apple seems keen to brag about how good its iPhone is at photography -- there are countless TV commercials produced by the company that highlight that exact thing. Apple is also taking its bragging a bit further by way of social media. After increasing its activity on Twitter lately, the company has now joined Instagram too. Under the @Apple handle, the MacBook-maker is not sharing photos of its products, but instead, photos taken with them.

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There are many great wireless routers on the market nowadays, from companies like Netgear, Linksys, and D-Link. My favorite router of all time is not being made anymore, sadly. Unfortunately, the company that made the aforementioned product is no longer making routers at all. That company's name is Apple. The AirPort Extreme was a great wireless router for many reasons -- it was secure, easy to use, and looked great. Yes, when you are putting a router in, say, your living room, the appearance does matter.

A new router that borrows design cues from Apple's routers caught my eye recently, and I knew I had to try it. Not only does the AmpliFi HD Mesh Wi-Fi System sort of look like an AirPort router, but it promised an easy app-based setup. What really sweetens the pot, however, is that the 802.11ac system uses "mesh" technology, allowing several access points to work together. Oh, and let's not forget that this home-based product is made by the much-respected Ubiquiti Networks.

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There are so many Bluetooth speakers nowadays, that it is hard for any to stand out. That's not to say they are all equal from a sound quality perspective. Actually, many of them are downright terrible. It is hard to find a model that produces acceptable-sounding music. This is why it is wise to stick with reputable brands, such as JBL, Bose, and Ultimate Ears. Don't misunderstand me, there are solid offerings from some less-known brands, but they are few and far between.

One reputable company that has been involved in sound technology for many years is Creative -- maker of the iconic Sound Blaster series of PC sound cards. Today, Creative unveils an absolutely beautiful Bluetooth speaker called "Halo." What makes it stand out from other such speakers is the cool-looking "halo" effect on the face. This is done with LED lights which feature an impressive 16.8 million color options. The lighting can be customized using a mobile app, allowing the user to find the best color combination for them. How cool is that?

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Whether or not password managers are a good idea is up for debate. I understand the concerns about storing all of your login credentials in a single place -- in the cloud no less. With that said, the benefits outweigh the negatives. Look, it is impossible to remember a unique password for countless web sites nowadays. One alternative to a password manager is reusing the same password on numerous sites, and that is foolish behavior. Right now, a solution like LastPass or 1Password is the best we have, and I suggest it wholeheartedly.

LastPass in particular is great, as it is free to use and is cross-platform. It even works on Linux desktop operating systems such as Ubuntu, Fedora, and Chrome OS. For a single dollar every month, you can opt for a premium account that supports the developer and gives you a few exclusive features. Well, guess what? LastPass is doubling the monthly fee for the Premium tier from one dollar to two. Yes, rather than $12 a year, it is now $24. Still extremely inexpensive, right? No one would complain about that, right? Wrong. Many LastPass users are stupidly complaining.

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Windows 10 has proven to be a bit disappointing for some users, but for others, it can be a satisfying experience. If you cannot afford a Mac, and learning Linux is out of the question, Microsoft's desktop operating system is your best bet. Look, Windows 10 isn't a bad OS at all. Actually, it scales rather well to many computer types and screen sizes. For instance, no other desktop OS can match it on a touch screen.

To highlight this, today, HP announces a beautiful Windows 10 point-of-sale system. Called "ElitePOS," it leverages many of Windows 10's strengths, such as touch-input and security. The little business computer is quite attractive too, which is very important for a customer-facing machine. The machine has solid hardware on the inside as well, featuring Kaby Lake processors and DDR4 memory. The body doesn't just look good, it is built well too, with military-grade ruggedness. In other words, this POS computer is not a "POS."

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One of my favorite computer chassis-makers is Fractal Design. Why? Well, the company's designs are both affordable and no-nonsense. Rather than make its cases look like spaceships for children, the designers focus on conservative designs that real PC builders appreciate. In other words, they are not form over function. Don't misunderstand me, the chassis designs aren't boring; just classy rather than flashy.

Today, Fractal Design launches a tempered glass update to one of its most popular case series  -- Define C. If you aren't familiar these cases, they ditch the front cages, making the chassis less deep. This is not just better for aesthetics, but cooling too. I like this design, as far fewer builders are using optical drives or 3.5-inch hard drives -- it was wasteful to have empty space at the front. There is still room for SATA drives, however, underneath the shroud -- which is also home to the power supply unit. This new "TG" variant with tempered glass makes a great case even better.

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Skype isn't the best communication service. Actually, it is often quite bad. Microsoft's development team seems to not care about the user interface as it looks terrible compared to competitors. Quite frankly, it is often a frustrating experience. The saving grace for Skype is its cross-platform nature -- there are clients for all popular operating systems. Not to mention, many users likely use it out of habit and name recognition.

All is not lost, however, as Microsoft still has plenty of time to right the ship and make Skype better. Today, the Windows-maker unveils a new feature that, while cool, doesn't exactly address Skype's needs. But OK, I'll take it. What is it? Well, Microsoft has partnered with PayPal for a new way to transfer funds using Skype. The unimaginatively named "Send Money" feature lets you easily do things like split a restaurant bill with friends or family, pay a dog-walker, and more.

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There seems to be a bit of a trend lately, where more and more computer builders are opting for smaller cases. In other words, rather than use a full ATX board and chassis, they are going for micro ATX and mini ITX. While I am sure aesthetics play a part, there is definitely one big benefit -- desk space. A smaller PC should provide the user with more surface room. With that said, they could get even more space by simply putting the computer on, say, the floor or separate table, but I digress.

If you want to truly maximize desk space, why not just use your desk as a chassis? No, I haven't gone mad -- there are actually desks that can double as a computer case. Today, famed case-maker, Lian Li, launches such a product, and it looks amazing. Called "DK-05," it can accommodate two motherboards (up to EATX), allowing the user to fit dual computers into one chassis; this includes two PSUs and eight PCI cards per board. What makes it particularly impressive, however, is that the desk is motorized, meaning the height can be adjusted with the press of a button, turning it into a standing desk when needed. As you can guess, this chassis desk is insanely expensive.

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I'm not sure how I got here, exactly, but I seem to be all-in on Amazon home devices lately. I have one Amazon Echo and two of its smaller Dot models. I can use these voice assistant devices to control my television, lights, surveillance cameras, and thermostat. Last week, I bought a Fire TV stick to replace my Nexus Player, because my TV provider does not support HBO go on Android TV -- weird, but true. You know what? I couldn't be happier.

Well, actually, I am a bit happier today. Why? Because my Echo devices can now control my Fire TV stick; perfect timing! While the Fire TV supports Alexa with a button-press on the remote, I can now bypass that and just use speech. Cool right? Best of all, this is a free feature for existing standalone hardware, meaning you can take advantage of it immediately without hassle. Support for televisions with integrated Fire TV will be coming very soon.

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If you need a Windows 10 computer, you can't go wrong with a Surface. Slowly but surely, Microsoft diversified its offerings, which now includes a tablet, two laptops, and an all-in-one-desktop. In other words, the Windows-maker recognized that one size does not fit all. Regardless of your needs, you can probably find a Surface that makes you happy.

The problem? These Surface computers are expensive. Actually, they can be very costly -- especially with top specifications. If you find yourself wanting one of these computers, but don't have any money in savings, I have good news. Today, Microsoft launches the Surface Plus Program for both consumers and businesses. This program essentially loans you the money, with a possible zero percent interest rate, to buy a Surface. Zero percent essentially means "free money," making it a wise alternative to high-interest credit cards.

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Red Hat, Inc is a wonderful example of how a company can be successful with open source solutions. There is this misguided stereotype that Linux and open source are just hobbies and that contributors are typically anti-social misfits coding in mom's basement. If you believe such foolishness, I feel bad for you. Actually, Red Hat, Inc has made billions with open source, and its RHEL distribution is an excellent choice for the enterprise.

Today, RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) reaches version 7.4. It can be had immediately so that IT departments can begin testing. Once everything checks out, they can roll out to company machines. It has many improvements, including NVMe Over Fabric, a preview of System Roles, and more.

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When Apple added support for third-party keyboards on iOS, many users were excited. To be honest, I was not, however. While I appreciate having the choice, I much prefer privacy. You see, when you add a third-party keyboard, the developer can potentially intercept your keystrokes. If you are OK with that, more power to you. Me? I'll stick to the stock variant, thank you very much.

But OK, let's say you don't like Apple's keyboard and trust Google with your entries. If that is the case, the search giant's Gboard is a very impressive offering. It is more than just a keyboard, as it adds the ability to easily insert things like gifs, plus do Google searches. It even offers swipe-style typing, meaning you can glide from letter to letter rather than peck. Today, Gboard gets even better thanks to new Maps and YouTube functionality. Google has also added support for drawing, plus three additional languages -- Arabic, Farsi, and Hebrew.

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There are many reasons to be a fan of AMD nowadays. For instance, many of the underdog's products offer solid performance at a great price (budget-friendly), plus its fan community is really engaged too. If you need support, not only can you reach out to AMD, but countless friendly fellow owners as well. Heck, AMD Windows drivers have really improved over the years too, making it a treat to upgrade when a new version is released.

AMD doesn't only want to be about the budget-friendly market, however. It is prepared to go after the high-end too. Going against the giant that is Intel won't be easy, but with processors such as the upcoming drool-worthy Threadripper line, AMD is making an impressive effort. Today, the company is also targeting NVIDIA on the GPU front, finally launching its much-anticipated Radeon RX Vega. AMD is hoping to capture the wallets of enthusiast gamers with Vega, and with the low starting price, it may succeed.

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