Brian Fagioli

As the proud owner of an Amazon Echo (and Echo Dot), I often like to show it off. My favorite demonstration is using the internet-connected voice assistant to control a lamp in my home. Like a giddy kid, I tell guests to prepare to witness magic. Then, I say "Alexa, turn on the lamp." Guess what happens? The lamp turns on! This is thanks to Alexa's connection with my Belkin WeMo outlet device. Guests are seemingly never as impressed as I am, but I digress.

If you also own Belkin WeMo devices, but opted instead for a Google Home rather than Amazon Echo, you were out of luck. Today this changes, however, as the search-giant's voice assistant can now control WeMo home devices. This includes Wemo Mini, Wemo Switch, Wemo Insight Switch, and Wemo Light Switch.

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Just yesterday, Acer unveiled a beautiful new Windows 10 360-degree convertible laptop for the education market. For many, Microsoft's operating system makes the most sense for preparing a student for the business world. After all, being well versed in things like Windows, Office, and Sharepoint look good on a resume.

Still, Windows is not the best operating system for all cases. Actually, the very secure Linux-based Chrome OS is a smart choice where learning is done entirely through the web or web portal. Today, Acer announces another 11.6-inch laptop for education, but this time, it is a Chromebook. The Spin 11 (R751T) can double as a tablet thanks to the 360-degree dual-torque hinge.

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When it comes to buying computers for education, there are many routes a school can take. If your aim is to prepare children for the workforce, however, Windows is still the best option. After all, Microsoft software solutions are still the stars of the show in the enterprise.

Today, Acer announces an intriguing 11.6-inch convertible laptop aimed at education. The TravelMate Spin B1 is built to be rugged and fairly no-frills, while also having some solid features like stylus support for Windows Ink. It is shock resistant and has a spill-resistant keyboard by default -- perfect for children. It can double as a tablet too, thanks to the 360-degree hinge and touch screen.

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Linux is arguably the most successful open source project in all of history. The success of the kernel -- and operating systems that use it -- are not due to any one man or woman. Actually, the achievements are thanks to the Linux community. In other words, it is a team effort -- developers, users, and more.

For a Linux distribution, such as Ubuntu, to continue its progress, Canonical needs developers to remain interested -- this includes getting new people involved and educated. This week, the company launched Ubuntu Tutorials -- based on Google's open source Codelab. No, it is not self-learning for new workstation users, but for programmers and developers.

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Open source ideology is changing the world. What was once (wrongfully) viewed as something just for hobbyists, is now a billion dollar industry. In other words, closed source is not the only way to make profits. Open source code is found in many places, including mainstream consumer electronics -- look no further than Android smartphones.

Speaking of Android, its creator -- Google -- is a huge proponent of open source. In fact, every summer, the search giant holds its "Summer of Code" program. This initiative partners inspiring developers (in college, age 18+) with organizations as a way to further the open source movement. Today, Google announces that organizations can begin applying for the program.

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Microsoft and Linux used to be like oil and water. In more recent years, however, the Windows-maker has embraced that kernel and other open source technologies too.

Today, Microsoft announces the addition of Intel's Clear Linux OS to Azure Marketplace. In other words, users of the company's cloud platform can set up a virtual machine using this distribution in addition to existing Linux-based operating systems.

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Mozilla is a very important organization for the open web. While Firefox's share of usage has not been lighting the world on fire lately, Mozilla is much more than just a web browser developer. It often fights for the rights of web users. Since it is a not-for-profit organization, you can be fairly confident that its intentions are pure.

Today, the organization announces a massive rebrand, including a partially crowd-sourced new logo. The logo is quite brilliant, as it is both pretty and sensical -- it incorporates the :// used in web addresses. While the clever logo is the star of the show, it is hardly the only new aspect. Mozilla is using open source design principles as well for things like colors, images, and fonts. In fact, the all new "Zilla" font is free to use by all.

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USB Type-C is the future. The connector type is quickly replacing micro USB on many devices. Two of the top Android phones -- the LG V20 and Google Pixel -- use the new USB-C standard. the While Apple has not yet used it for the iPhone, the company has embraced it for the newest MacBook Pro.

Today, SCOSCHE unveils MagicMount PowerBank for USB-C devices. Like the existing microUSB and Lightning versions, the new Type-C variant attaches to the rear of the smartphone using magnets. It can be used with or without a phone case.

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As someone born in the 1980s, Nintendo was a huge part of my life. I owned every one of its home consoles from the NES to the Wii. Yes, I even bought the Virtual Boy, which I still have. Unfortunately, I sat out the Wii U due to poor design and a lack of quality games. Apparently, I was not alone in not embracing that console, as it is largely considered a flop.

The company's latest console, however, got me very excited. The Nintendo Switch doubles as both a home and portable console, making it more useful. Based on the company's presentation, it looked very fun. I pre-ordered it immediately, for fear of it selling out. This was a good idea, apparently, as pre-orders are no longer available at major retailers. Here's the problem -- I am considering canceling my order, as it is looking to be a failure.

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A Beta release for Linux Mint 18.1 'Serena' KDE is here. There are already versions available featuring other desktop environments, such as Cinnamon, Mate, and Xfce. You'd think that would be enough, but no! Apparently a fourth edition is needed. Some people feel that a KDE version is a waste of resources, but either way, here we are.

So what is new? The KDE Plasma 5.8 desktop environment is the star of the show -- after all, if you do not want KDE, you wouldn't choose this version. The shipping Linux kernel is 4.4.0-53, which is surprisingly outdated. Ubuntu-based operating systems are never known for being bleeding-edge, however.

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If you have never owned a Raspberry Pi, you do not know what you are missing. While it is designed for tinkering and learning coding, it can be used for so much more. It can run Linux distributions and even a special version of Windows 10. If you install Kodi, it can become a powerful media box too.

If you have been wanting one, I have good news. We here at BetaNews are giving away the best version -- the Raspberry Pi 3. We aren't stopping there, however, as we are also including a very nice aluminum case -- including heatsinks for overclocking. It is the exact Raspberry Pi 3 and case as seen in the video above. In other words, the case has already been installed by yours truly. Want to enter to win? There are multiple ways to enter. Just click the link below!

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Google is a significant contributor to the open source community. This is notable, as the company is wildly successful and its products are used by many. It incorporates open source code in its offerings, and then contributes back too. The search giant's visibility lends credibility to open source ideology.

Today, Google announces yet another open source project. Called "Draco," it is a compression library designed for 3D graphics. The project can dramatically reduce the size of 3D graphic files without significant visual impact to the person viewing.

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For many mobile laptop users, tethering from their smartphone to get Wi-Fi is a fact of life. While this is convenient, there are some downsides. The data used by the laptop will count against the mobile data allowance, meaning potential data overages. Another pain point is that it can drain your phone's battery.

A good alternative to smartphone tethering is using a separate mobile hotspot. Today, Verizon announces the latest such device for its network -- the MiFi 7730L Jetpack by Novatel Wireless. This product is quite impressive, as it features a color display, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and USB-C storage support. It can even be used as a battery bank to charge your smartphone. Yeah, this thing looks incredible.

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Profits made by YouTube creators can vary wildly. One way these people earn money is from views -- every time a viewer watches a video with an advertisement, the person gets a very small sum. On there own, each view is worth less than a penny. This can ad up, however, and some creators -- such as PewDiePie -- can earn millions of dollars each year.

Today, Google is introducing Super Chat, which is a new way for YouTube content creators to generate money. When a creator is hosting a live stream with chat, they can sell a "Super Chat" to viewers. It is essentially a highlighted chat message, allowing the viewer to stand out from the non-paid users. In theory, this will help the viewer get noticed by the streamer, so that they can get a shout-out, or more easily get a question answered.

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Owning a MacBook Pro (2016) has been a very fun experience. While some people are unhappy not having USB Type-A ports, I am happily embracing the Type-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports. Sure, I have needed a dongle a few times when connecting some devices, but it hasn't been too bad. I've even embraced a USB-C dock (with power delivery) to create a Mac desktop experience in my home -- mouse, keyboard, and monitor.

So far, however, I haven't been very satisfied with USB-C docks. I sometimes face issues where USB ports don't work while delivering power. On a few occasions, my connected USB hard drives have disconnected when the Mac goes to sleep, leading to macOS warning messages. The market will soon be saturated with true Thunderbolt 3 docks that should provide a much better experience. Today, StarTech announces a new line of Thunderbolt 3 devices, including docks and display adapters.

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