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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As Windows 10 continues to disappoint some users, Microsoft is increasing its focus on Linux. Whether or not the company will ever take the big step of making its own distribution based on the kernel remains to be seen. With that said, the company has sort of come close -- it has allowed Linux to infiltrate its beloved Windows operating system by way of the "Windows Subsystem for Linux" feature. Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer would probably be rolling in their graves right now -- if they weren't alive, of course.

Today, Microsoft takes its commitment to Linux a bit further. You see, it has announced that "Windows Subsystem for Linux" will be shedding its "beta" designation in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. In fact, the Beta tag has already been removed in Windows 10 Insider Build 16251. In other words, the beta label on the feature has been taken off in a beta version of the operating system. Confused? Welcome to the party, pal!

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Back in the days of floppy disks, USB flash drives were seen as magic. When first sold, consumers could hardly wrap their heads around the concept. You didn't need to purchase a special drive to read the media, as the USB ports found on many computers were already there -- mind-boggling. Hell, it could attach to your keychain -- wow! Not to mention, they held much more data than a floppy. They were particularly great for students, as it meant easily saving and transporting files.

Nowadays, these USB flash drives are largely boring. While still useful for operating system installations, the cloud has made them sort of obsolete for data storage and transport. Quite frankly, these flash drives can be privacy nightmares too; they can potentially spread malware when inserted, and many users don't bother with encryption. Today, however, Silicon Power unveils a USB flash drive that is exciting. You see, the "Mobile C50," as it is called, features a triple interface -- USB-C, USB-A, and USB micro-B. In other words, if a computer or device has any type of USB port, it should be compatible.

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Ubuntu is one of the best Linux distributions around. What? You thought it became insanely popular by accident? Actually, its success is bred from being stable, easy to use, and having a really great community for beginners. Not to mention, it has many different "flavors" (desktop environments), allowing the user to find the best experience based on their preferences.

Today, the upcoming version of Ubuntu -- version 17.10 which is named named "Artful Aardvark" -- celebrates a new milestone. While not yet in beta status, it has reached the second alpha stage; the stable version is not due until October. While not all desktop environments are available at this point -- GNOME is absent, for instance -- there are several excellent options for testers, such as MATE, Budgie, and KDE.

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Variety is both a gift and curse for Linux on the desktop. On the one hand, it is nice that there are so many operating systems based on the kernel from which to choose. On the other, it can sometimes feel like the community is very fragmented. Not only is there tribalism between users of distributions, but desktop environments too. For instance, there is Ubuntu vs. Fedora and KDE vs. GNOME -- much like Coke vs. Pepsi and Chevy vs. Ford. This is just human nature, I suppose.

With all of that said, popular Linux-based operating system, openSUSE Leap, has achieved a new point release. Version 42.3 is now available for download and it should be a good alternative to Microsoft's Windows 10. While it is fairly uneventful on the surface, that is arguably a good thing. You see, the distro focuses heavily on stability -- rather than being bleeding edge and sexy -- which many users wisely appreciate. There are many under-the-hood improvements, however.

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While the wearable market hasn't exploded as many manufacturers had hoped, it is definitely popular for fitness. Although accuracy is sometimes in question, these devices can help people count steps, monitor heart rate, and more. It is not magic, however -- you must put in the effort to get in shape. In other words, the wearable can't do the exercise for you; trust me, I know...

One of the most popular fitness wearable brands is Fitbit, and today, its devices are getting even better. You see, Microsoft's virtual assistant, Cortana, can now work bidirectionally with a Fitbit account. You can ask the assistant for data from the account and she (her gender is a woman) will tell it to you. Conversely, you can tell Cortana to update your account with accomplishments. Very cool.

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SATA solid state drives aren't particularly exciting nowadays, but they are essential for consumers looking to upgrade existing computers without breaking the bank. By purchasing a 2.5-inch SSD, a computer user can easily upgrade their laptop. Not only should the notebook get a speed boost, but it can improve battery life too. Heck, these drives are great for desktops too -- especially if they do not have M.2 NVMe slots.

Today, Toshiba announces a new SATA SSD that is aimed at upgraders. Called TR200, it is a 2.5-inch drive that features 64-Layer 3D 3-bit-per-cell TLC flash memory.

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Linux is the future, and even closed-source champion Microsoft has gotten onboard. The Windows-maker is not only contributing to many open source projects, but developing software for the Linux desktop, with programs such as Skype. You can even install Linux distributions from the Windows Store nowadays. Hell, the company has even created a version of Microsoft Office that runs on Linux by way of Android! Yes, Google's mobile operating system is Linux. Android is also what effectively killed the much maligned Windows Phone, so Microsoft clearly has no problem with joining forces with prior "enemies."

Today, Microsoft further pledges its loyalty to Linux and open source by becoming a platinum member of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. If you aren't familiar, the CNCF is a part of the well-respected Linux Foundation (of which Microsoft is also a member). With the Windows-maker increasingly focusing its efforts on the cloud -- and profiting from it -- this seems like a match made in heaven. In fact, Dan Kohn, Executive Director of the foundation says, "We are honored to have Microsoft, widely recognized as one of the most important enterprise technology and cloud providers in the world, join CNCF as a platinum member."

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When you buy a company's product, the experience doesn't end at the store. Well, at least it shouldn't. While some companies may wipe their hands after the sale, the truly high-quality brands will focus on the overall experience for the life of the product. Apple, for instance, does an excellent job here, making you feel like you've joined a club that cares about you. While buying Apple Care improves that experience, even without it, some consumers may end up with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Another company focusing on the customer experience? LG. If you weren't already aware, owners of the G6 Android flagship -- an excellent smartphone -- are able to get a complimentary second year warranty at no charge. Yup, you can register for what the company calls the "LG G6 Second Year Promise." In fact, the company even guarantees an expedited turnaround time if your under-warranty G6 should need replacing. Quite frankly, this warranty -- coupled with decreasing price -- makes buying the device a no-brainer. To highlight this previously announced promise, the company has now created a new video explaining it.

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USB is one of the greatest inventions in computing. If you are a younger computer user, you may not remember a time before USB devices. It was rather terrible. Sure, there were external devices, but they connected to the very slow serial or parallel ports. I had a parallel port Zip drive, for instance. Ugh. Most things were in card form, however, and Windows wouldn't make installations an easy affair. Remember IRQ conflicts? No? Consider yourself lucky. I still have nightmares.

Over the years, USB has improved dramatically, with the latest connection, Type-C, solving the biggest issue -- a reversible connector. Not to mention, the newest specification, USB 3.1 generation 2, is insanely fast. In other words, life is good for consumers wanting external devices. Today, however, The USB 3.0 Promoter Group announces that things will be getting even better. Why? USB 3.2 is on the way.

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