As the owner of a Kindle, I normally get all my e-books from Amazon. It is a great experience, as not only can I read the book on my e-reader, but thanks to the Kindle app, my smartphone and tablet too. Quite frankly, I never considered getting an electronic book anywhere else.

If you are a Windows 10 user, you can buy books from the official Store -- just like an app, song, game, or movie. If you have never bought an e-book from Microsoft before, now may be the time. The Windows-maker will give you a $5 Windows Store credit for buying a book from its store. Believe it or not, it even applies to books that cost less than $5, meaning you can sort of make a profit off the deal.

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Twitch was designed as a video game streaming service, but since Amazon bought it, it seems to be evolving into something more. While it is still primarily a platform for showing off gaming, people are using it for general videos, broadcasting pretty much anything. Heck, the service has even offered marathons of classic TV shows, such as Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and Power Rangers.

Today, Twitch announces its latest marathon offering -- Mystery Science Theater 3000. If you aren't familiar with the cult-classic show, it features a man and two puppet-robots that talk over old B-level films. In other words, you are sort of watching a movie along with them, but the comedic commentary is the real focal point -- not the actual film.

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I can't say this enough -- never go cheap on a wireless router. Whether for your home or business, a flaky connection can be absolutely maddening. Not to mention, if you opt for a model from a lesser-known company, you could get left with poor update support. In other words, there could be unpatched vulnerabilities. What you want to do is target a reputable brand that has historically offered plenty of updates. Then, select a model that meets your needs.

Despite some fairly overblown concerns about data collection, one such reputable company is NETGEAR. The company not only offers routers with great features and reliability, but excellent support too. Today, the company refreshes its aging Nighthawk X6 (R8000). The new "S" model -- which replaces its predecessor -- is called "X6S (R8000P)." This new router still has six antennas, but moves from AC3200 to AC4000 (750+1625+1625 Mbps). The new model gets multi-user MIMO and has a better processor, going from a dual-core 1GHz to a dual-core 64-bit 1.8GHz CPU. Like the prior model, the X6S also has Amazon Alexa support.

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Logitech recently unveiled the versatile Circle 2 -- its second-generation home surveillance camera. Unlike the first version of the cam, the newer variant can be used both indoors and outside. Plus, thanks to the many mounting options, you can position it in many different ways. It looks like a great product.

Today, the Circle 2 gets even more attractive thanks to an upcoming new feature. You see, the internet-connected camera is getting integration with the upcoming Echo Show -- Amazon's assistant device that features a display. This actually makes a lot of sense, as it transforms Amazon's screen-having device into a voice-controlled surveillance monitor.

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Sometimes listening to music can be a very private affair -- especially with sad songs. Enjoying music can often be communal too, where friends gather together to enjoy some tunes. Heck, a concert is a great example of this. Sometimes it can just be more enjoyable to experience music with others.

Spotify apparently understands this, as today, it unveils a new integration with Facebook Messenger. Using the chat platform, a Spotify user can create a playlist and then invite friends to contribute to it. Best of all, the user's friends do not need to have Spotify accounts to participate.

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Do people still use Windows Phones? Yeah, believe it or not, these gluttons for punishment are still out there. Why do they still use Windows 10 Mobile? Who really knows -- I am sure a psychologist would have a field day with these people.

Despite the almost non-existent market share, Microsoft is still stringing these loyal users along, providing periodic updates through the Insider program. I actually think it is sort of cool that the Windows-maker still throws these folks a bone every once in a while. Today, Dona Sarkar pushes her magic release button and sends Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 15226 to the Fast ring. Huzzah!

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Goodness gracious, Virgin Mobile USA has made quite the bold moves today. The cellular service provider has become the world's first iPhone-exclusive carrier. In other words, it will no longer offer Android at all. Crazy, right? This is through a partnership with Apple, and Virgin will offer many versions of the device, including iPhone 6, 6S, 7, and SE.

The craziness doesn't stop there, however, as there is even something much more exciting -- Virgin Mobile USA is offering unlimited talk, text and data for a dollar. No, that is not a typo -- a single buck will get you unlimited everything for up to a year! This is through a new scheme called "Inner Circle."

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Look, it isn't exactly a pleasant topic, but we all need to use the potty (toilet, loo, etc.). As much as we humans want to think we are somehow above the rest of the animals on Earth, we have to pee and poop just like bears, dogs, and other creatures. It is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, there is even a very popular children's book called "Everybody Poops."

Believe it or not, it is not easy to go to the bathroom in NYC. Many store restrooms have keypads, requiring you to buy something to get the access code on a receipt. Don't have any money? Tough luck! I have seen people rooting through garbage cans for receipts just to find a receipt and code. Even when you finally gain access, it isn't always clean -- yuck! Thanks to toilet paper-maker Charmin, there is finally a solution. Called "Van-GO," it is an on-demand mobile toilet service that is sort of like Uber -- but for poop and pee.

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If you like iOS, you buy an iPhone -- easy enough. If you prefer Android, well, picking a smartphone can be quite the confusing affair. Even if you select a phone you like at first, it is quite possible that the manufacturer could abandon it from an update perspective. In other words, you could end up with a vulnerable phone which, quite frankly, can be dangerous to use. This can happen even with well-known companies, such as Samsung and LG. Frustrating, right?

Of course, you can always opt for Google's own Pixel phones, as they are sure to get updates for a couple of years. What if you don't want to go that route? Well, there are two upcoming flagship smartphones that should be well supported both by the manufacturers and Android hacking communities. The phones to which I am referring are the OnePlus 5 and the Essential Phone. These devices are the "it" smartphones of the moment, and choosing between them won't be easy. So, which one will you be buying?

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While Windows users have long had the ability to use an official client for Spotify, there is a big dilemma -- Windows 10 S. The most recent version of Microsoft's operating system is limited to apps from the Windows Store. In other words, the official "Win32" Spotify client will not be compatible.

Luckily, Microsoft announced that both Spotify and iTunes were coming to the Windows Store. When they were coming, however, was unknown. While Apple's program is still missing, Spotify is finally here. As of today, Windows 10 users can get the official client from the Store.

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SiriusXM is a really satisfying service. Not only is it great for commercial-free music, but it offers some great talk radio, such as Howard Stern. You can even listen to popular news programs from CNN, Fox News, and more. Let's not forget the great sports coverage too.

Unfortunately, many people only listen to SiriusXM in the car, as that is where their equipment is. Luckily, there is a new convenient way to listen to the satellite service in your home -- Alexa. Yes, Amazon's assistant has a new SiriusXM skill that allows an Echo device to play your favorite channels. I have been using it this morning and it is quite brilliant.

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Windows laptops are certainly getting more beautiful with every passing year. Elegance used to largely be an Apple-only affair, but that has been changing. Quite frankly, there are countless such notebooks on the market, making choosing one a bit difficult -- a good problem for consumers.

Today, ASUS unveils one of the most beautiful such Windows laptops. Called "ZenBook 3 Deluxe," it is insanely thin at a mere 12.9mm. It is quite light too, at only 2.42 pounds. Despite its svelte body, it is packed with plenty of excellent specs, such as a Kaby Lake Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB PCIe SSD. It has three USB-C ports, one of which is USB 3.0 speed, while the others are 3.1 Gen 2/ Thunderbolt 3. It even leverages biometrics for logging in, with a Windows Hello compatible fingerprint reader on the trackpad.

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On November 7, the Xbox One X will become available. Want to know a secret? It plays the same games as Xbox One and Xbox One S. In other words, the $500 "X" console gives a similar experience as the $250 "S" variant. While both can play 4K media, only the X model can display actual games in that resolution, however. If that doesn't matter to you, why spend the extra money? You can use the savings to buy more games!

Today, Microsoft announces a trio of deals that will make buying an Xbox One S even more attractive. Not only can you get the console itself for $249, but you can also score a $50 gift card or free Xbox Wireless Controller. While the promotion also includes the "non-S" variant of the console, that is becoming harder to find, so you should probably stick with the S at this point. Any savings would be negligible anyway.

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One fun aspect of Android is that there are many different device designs. Unlike the iPhone which is largely uniform in style, there are countless smartphones running Google's mobile operating system with different sizes, shapes, colors, user interfaces, etc. Heck, you can still get an Android phone with a physical keyboard!

One manufacturer that is often pushing the envelope on design is HTC. Its newest smartphone, the U11, is absolutely gorgeous from an appearance perspective, but it has a very unique aspect too -- it is squeezable. Yes, you can squeeze the frame to interact with the phone. Unfortunately, one of the most lovely colors for the phone, called "Solar Red," was not available to consumers in the USA. This is changing, thankfully, as HTC is bringing the sought-after color to America.

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It feels like everything is internet-connected nowadays -- lights, televisions, coffee-makers, and more. Heck, even doorbells are connected! One of the most popular such devices -- the Ring Video Doorbell -- allows the owner to not only see who is ringing the doorbell, but to communicate with them too. This can be done remotely with a smartphone, so even when you aren't home, you can give the illusion that you are. In theory, this could thwart burglars that are testing to see if a home is occupied.

Today, Ring Video Doorbell gets a generation 2 refresh. All of the features of the first-gen model are here, but it gets an improved design with 1080p video support and more.

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