This may surprise you (or not), but I am a total bore at parties. I usually don't speak much, and if I do, it is surely something that isn't interesting. Why is this? Well, I usually don't have anything to say, nor do I really care for banter. This is probably why I rarely get invited to parties!

Today, Google launches a new way for party-poopers like me to seem more interesting than they actually are. How? By sharing fun facts on various topics on the search engine. These interesting and enjoyable facts can be found when searching, and then used in conversation later. For example, Google shares that strawberries aren't actually berries -- I didn't know that, but now I do!

Continue reading →

Video gamers are very spoiled nowadays, as there are so many great games and consoles to buy. Both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are great, for example, and Nintendo will be launching a new console called Switch on March 3. Let's not forget PC gamers -- they have lots of powerful hardware and quality games available too.

One game that has many gamers excited is Halo Wars 2. It will be launching very soon, on February 21. If you ordered the "Ultimate" edition, however, you get to play it a few days earlier on the 17th. Don't have an Xbox One? Don't panic. To celebrate the release of Halo Wars 2, Microsoft is giving away an Xbox One S Halo Wars 2 Ultimate Edition Bundle! In addition, the Windows-maker will be giving away other cool prizes too.

Continue reading →

While YouTube is probably the biggest destination for online video, more and more people are sharing videos on Facebook nowadays too. In fact, with the introduction of Facebook Live, many users have also streamed themselves live on the social network. For example, "Chewbacca Mom" went viral with her Facebook video last year.

Today, Facebook announces that it is enhancing the video-watching experience on its platform, thanks to several new features. The social network is improving the way vertical videos look on mobile, but that is no excuse to shoot them this way, folks -- landscape is still the best way to record! Facebook is even enabling a special picture-in-picture mode so you can simultaneously watch a video while scrolling through your feed. Amazingly, that is not all.

Continue reading →

Happy Valentine's Day, dear BetaNews readers! Please know that I love you all very much. On this day of romance, restaurants will be crowded with couples celebrating the holiday. If you have a significant other, I hope you have already purchased a gift or at least a greeting card by now. If not, you might be fighting over slim-pickings at the store this evening!

If you haven't yet picked up a gift, and that someone special is a bit of a computer nerd, I have some good news. The Linux Foundation is offering special training and certification discounts for Valentine's Day. Chocolate and flowers are fleeting -- education can last a lifetime. Using this special discount code, you can surprise your lover with the gift of Linux -- how cool is that?

Continue reading →

While tablets may not be as popular nowadays compared to a few years ago, they are still totally relevant devices. Even as large-screen smartphones gain in popularity, some consumers still enjoy owning a tablet too. For instance, I own an iPhone 6s Plus, but I absolutely adore my iPad mini 4; my Apple tablet gets used every day.

If you are the proud owner of an Apple iPad, and you want to protect it, there are countless cases available. Today, GEAR4 announces yet another, and it hopes it will grab some attention in the crowded market. The rugged "Buckingham" flip case is available for iPad mini 4, Air 2, Pro 9.7, and Pro 12.9.

Continue reading →

While Windows 10 has its fair share of vocal detractors, the operating system is actually very good. In fact, some people say it is the best version of Microsoft's desktop operating system ever -- particularly for gaming. Consumers that want a Windows 10 computer are very lucky nowadays, as there are many quality machines from which to choose.

One such quality laptop is the Razer Blade. The 14-inch Windows 10 laptop is quite popular with gamers, as it is both svelte and powerful. Today, Razer announces that it is refreshing the notebook with new Intel Kaby Lake processors and an optional 4K display.

Continue reading →

Verizon Wireless is the best cellular carrier in the USA. While it is expensive comparatively, you get what you pay for. In my experience, the carrier offers the best coverage and speeds. Not to mention, it has excellent customer service. Unfortunately, Verizon got rid of unlimited data some years back, getting many customers to switch to tiered plans. Some folks, such as yours truly, have been grandfathered into the older unlimited data plan, fearful that one day it would be taken away.

Well folks, today, Verizon announces that not only will it not be removing the grandfathered unlimited plans, it is introducing an even better one. Starting tomorrow, users can have unlimited calling, texting, and data for a mere $80 per month. Families with four lines pay just $45 per month per line. Unlike the older unlimited plan, users can even use tethering too!

Continue reading →

Optical media is in a weird place right now. Thanks to cloud storage and flash drives, fewer folks are backing up data to CD, DVD, and Blu-ray. Because of streaming media -- from services like Netflix and Hulu -- fewer consumers are buying movies and music on optical media. Does this mean that optical media is totally dead? Hardly.

As burning/mastering products such as Nero and Ashampoo become more and more bloated, however, it is getting harder for PC users to find a simple and rewarding solution. BurnAware is one such program that remains lightweight while offering a lot of useful functionality. The software recently hit version 10, and I have been trying the "Pro" version on my Windows 10 machine with great success.

Continue reading →

This Valentine's Day, you may have special plans, such as dinner and a movie with your significant other. If you are particularly romantic, you probably have jewelry, candy, or flowers planned too. If you are single, however, you may be planning to stay inside alone -- there is no shame in that, folks.

In 2017, there is something very exciting happening on February 14th -- tickets for Build will go on sale. If you aren't familiar, this is Microsoft's annual developer conference. Will you be buying tickets at noon ET this Valentine's Day?

Continue reading →

Apple is a company that puts a big focus on security and privacy. Unlike Google, the iPhone-maker does not make the majority of its money from advertising and harvesting user data. Heck, Tim Cook and company even famously fought a government request to help it break into an iPhone. Ultimately, if you value your privacy, Apple products can arguably be trusted a bit more than its competitors.

With all of that said, today, a bit of a failure was discovered on Apple's part regarding user privacy. You see, when an Apple user deleted their web browser history, they assumed it was gone forever -- and rightfully so. While the data no longer appeared on Apple devices, it has been discovered by ElcomSoft that it persisted on iCloud. To make matters worse, this data is easily recoverable.

Continue reading →

If you want to know the current weather, you can simply gaze out a window. If you want to know the weather beyond the moment, however, there are many sources from where you can get it. Some folks will turn on the television or radio, but in the computer age, there are far more convenient ways, such as mobile apps and search engines.

One such search engine that can present you with the weather is Bing. Today, Microsoft is improving the weather functionality of its search engine by offering improved visuals. As you can see in the image above, it is much more pleasing than Google's. In addition, Bing is now offering ski resort snow reports for skiers and snowboarders.

Continue reading →

Voice assistants are changing the way consumers interact with their computers and devices. Services like Alexa and Siri are enabling people to use voice to ask questions and control home components, such as thermostats and lights. It really is an exceptional thing.

Microsoft's Cortana is also a great voice assistant, and since "she" is included in Windows 10, countless consumers already have access. Today, Microsoft announces that it is improving Cortana with a new feature called "Suggested Reminders". The assistant will scan your emails for dates and appointments, and then suggest reminders -- for times when maybe you forgot to do so yourself. Previously available to Windows Insiders, it is now an option for all Windows 10 users. There is one very big catch, however.

Continue reading →

As the news of the world gets crazier and crazier, people are increasingly needing distractions to cope. While TV, movies, and music are obvious choices, video games should not be forgotten. These games allow the player to escape into an alternate reality for a while, and can be more immersive than other media.

If you do not own a game console, you really can't go wrong with the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One -- both are powerful and have respectable game libraries. Today, however, Sony makes its offering very attractive. The company announces three new console bundles for a mere $249.

Continue reading →

All SSDs are relatively "fast" nowadays, but as time marches on, SATA variants are getting very long in the tooth. Don't get me wrong, if you are still running a mechanical hard drive, moving to an SATA SSD should be a very rewarding upgrade. If your computer is capable of using a PCIe NVMe M.2 variant, however, that is what you should target -- these newer drives are much faster than SATA.

Samsung makes wonderful solid state drives -- some would argue the manufacturer's offerings are best on the market. You know what? I wouldn't disagree. Samsung SSDs are very fast, but more importantly, they are extremely reliable. I have been testing one of the company's latest drives -- the 960 Pro 1TB. This PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD is supposed to be insanely fast, but just how fast is it? I decided to do a quick benchmark review.

Continue reading →

Whenever I am going on a day trip, such as spending an afternoon in New York City, I pack a special technology bag. Besides my laptop and camera, I am sure to include a USB battery pack. No matter what, I like to know that I can charge my iPhone in an emergency.

But what if I wanted something for a trip that is longer than a day? What if I wanted to stay juiced-up on a camping trip? Heck, what if there is a disaster that cuts my home's electricity? Renogy has a new hardcore product that is sure to excite. The Phoenix All-in-One Solar Powered Generator Briefcase could prove to be quite the life-saver -- it can charge an iPhone 6s 32 times! Not only does it offer a massive 16Ah internal battery, but it can be recharged by the sun. It can charge more than a mere smartphone too.

Continue reading →