Brian Fagioli

Linux-based desktop operating systems are better than Windows because they are free, right? Whoa there, folks. Neither are necessarily better or worse -- it really depends on your needs. Cost-free operating systems, such as Ubuntu and Fedora, are definitely great for home consumers looking to breathe new life into old machines. With that said, the benefits of Linux extend beyond money and cost-savings.

Linux being free is sort of misleading when it comes to business use too. While a small business with a few employees can sometimes get by without paying for support, larger companies would be crazy to go it entirely alone -- paid support is a necessity for success. Today, Canonical releases a well-designed infographic that explains the benefits of its paid support, called 'Ubuntu Advantage'.

PC gaming is a big business nowadays, and that extends beyond GPUs and the actual video games themselves. People that enjoy gaming will invest in accessories too, such as mice, headsets, and keyboards.

Today, a beautiful gaming keyboard hits stores. Dubbed "ALLOY FPS", it is the first-ever gaming keyboard from famed gaming accessory-maker HyperX (a Kingston company). Featuring Cherry MX Blue switches and a beautiful design, it is sure to be very popular with hardcore gamers.

Nike has long been a major player in all things sports. Its footwear and other apparel can often be found on the world's most popular athletes. True, the company pays those folks big bucks to wear the gear, but that does not detract from the fact that it is also quality stuff. Trust me, a comfortable pair of Nike sneakers is well worth the premium.

Nike and Apple have long been in business together -- even before the iPhone -- with Nike+iPod. The collaboration between these two strong brands makes a lot of sense. This Friday, the Apple Watch Nike+ will finally be available to consumers. Since Apple's wearable is so focused on fitness, this is likely the most cohesive and focused collaboration between the two companies.

The tablet market has gotten a bit stale lately. While Apple keeps chugging along with its innovative "Pro" iPad devices, the Android community hasn't seen much in the way of quality offerings. Sadly, many tablets running Google's mobile operating system are low-quality with scant support -- OS updates are often non-existent.

If you do want a quality Android tablet, Samsung is still cranking them out, and today it announces a new such model for the US market. The 'Galaxy Tab A 10.1" with S Pen' -- yeah, that is actually the full name -- will be in stores later this week at a very affordable price.

The gift and curse of desktop Linux-based operating systems is the ability to change the desktop environment. On one hand, having the choice to pick your favorite user interface, such as Unity, GNOME, or KDE Plasma, can be a huge positive. On the other, this also creates fragmented experiences between Linux users.

If you are a fan of KDE Plasma, there are plenty of quality distributions available. The overall best for home users, however, is the wonderful Netrunner. You'd be hard-pressed to find another KDE-focused distro with such care and focus on the user experience. Today, a specialized version of the Debian-based operating system, called Netrunner Core, becomes available for download. This pared-down OS is designed for lower-end systems, and there are images for both x86 and ARM.

Next week, on October 27, Apple will hold a press event called "Hello Again". While the company has not officially announced the products to be unveiled, rumors suggest we will see new Mac computers. Apple has long neglected its desktops and laptops (it still sells a MacBook from 2012), and consumers have been eagerly anticipating refreshed machines with better specifications. It is quite likely that the wants of these folks will be met next week.

Unfortunately for some, Mac computers (and many Windows machines too) no longer have number pads (aka keypads). For those that work in the financial sector, or simply learned to type using a keyboard with a number pad, this can be problematic. Fortunately, there are many third-party options on the market. Today, Satechi releases the all-new Slim Aluminum Wireless Keypad and it looks like a winner. If you are planning to buy one of the rumored new Mac computers, this could be a godsend. Not only does it come in colors to match Apple devices, but it is slimmer than Satechi's prior offering.

Linux 4.0 introduced a wonderful feature for those that need insane up-time -- the ability to patch the kernel without rebooting the machine. While this is vital for servers, it can be beneficial to workstation users too. Believe it or not, some home users covet long up-time simply for fun -- bragging rights, and such.

If you are an Ubuntu 16.04 LTS user (with generic Linux kernel 4.4) and you want to take advantage of this exciting feature, I have good news -- it is now conveniently available for free! Unfortunately, this all-new Canonical Livepatch Service does have a catch -- it is limited to three machines per user. Of course, home users can register as many email addresses as they want, so it is easy to get more if needed. Businesses can pay for additional machines through Ubuntu Advantage. Want to give it a go? Read on.

As someone who was born in the 1980's, Nintendo was a huge part of my childhood. My first console from the company was the iconic NES. My family did not have much money, but my parents ended up surprising me with it one day. Hilariously, we hooked it up to a black-and-white TV at first -- I only saw color in my games when playing at a friend's house. Nintendo nostalgia is common with folks that grew up in the 80's and 90's.

Unfortunately, the company hit a rough patch with the Gamecube, but redeemed itself with the gimmicky Wii. Sadly, the next home console from the company, the Wii U, was a horrific flop, making some wonder if the game-maker should exit the hardware business entirely. Today, Nintendo looks to hush the haters with the all-new 'Switch' console. This tablet system (formerly known as NX) is a hybrid of sorts, as it has the ability to serve as both a portable or home console. Will millennials and other consumers care?

The Raspberry Pi computers are extremely popular. It isn't hard to see why people like them -- they are small, inexpensive, and very useful for various projects. While they are arguably under-powered for use as, say, a full-time workstation, the diminutive machines aren't really meant for that.

If you do want to use it as a workstation, however, I have good news. Fedora 25 Beta Workstation is now available for both the Raspberry Pi 2 and Raspberry Pi 3. In addition to the Workstation image, Fedora 25 Beta Server is available too. Owners of ARMv6-powered Pi models, such as the Pi Zero, are out of luck, as the operating system will not be made available for them.

When buying a wireless router for your home, there are many models to choose from. If you have basic needs in a small home, such as surfing the web or watching Netflix at 1080p, you can easily get by with an inexpensive router for, say, under $100. For those with more advanced needs, like streaming 4K and sharing large files between computers on the network, or those in large homes requiring greater range, prices for more capable routers can skyrocket.

While you don't always have to spend obscene amounts of money on technology, a wireless router is definitely not the place to try and save a buck -- you should always aim for quality products from reputable brands. Today, once such trusted company, NETGEAR, announces the Nighthawk X10 AD7200 smart WiFi router. On paper, it looks like one of the greatest home routers ever. Of course, with such cutting-edge technology like 802.11ad, it carries a very hefty price tag.

This Friday, the video game 'Battlefield 1' hits stores. Many gamers have anticipated this game, as both the graphics and gameplay look amazing. As with previous Battlefield titles, the multiplayer and campaigns should be very rewarding. When completing the latter, gamers should expect solid storytelling.

If you are interested in playing Battlefield 1, the Electronic Arts-published title will be made available for Windows PC. If you prefer gaming on consoles, it will also be available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. If you don't own either console, don't panic -- Larry Hryb (aka Major Nelson) of Microsoft is giving away an Xbox One S. The grand prize is no ordinary version of the console, however, but the limited-edition Battlefield 1 Special Edition Bundle. There will be additional runner-up prizes given away too.

When it comes to shopping for PC gaming hardware, there are often three types of consumers -- hardcore, budget, and those that fall in between. Hardcore gamers will spend massive amounts of money to get the absolute best performance. Budget gamers, however, aim for respectable specifications at affordable prices.

If you fall into the budget category, today, NVIDIA announces two new graphics cards that will make you very excited -- GeForce GTX 1050 and 1050 Ti. While neither card is top of the line, they should be able to achieve solid performance at 1080p. Best of all? The 1050 starts at a super-low $109.

Google is one of the biggest champions of open source, releasing very useful projects such as Cartographer and Noto. Heck, the company is so proud of its open source efforts, that it graded itself with a public report card.

Today, the search giant releases yet another open source tool. Called "Nomulus", it is designed to be a top-level domain (TLD) registry platform. This is not a young or incomplete project, however, as Google began developing it way back in 2011. Now that Nomulus is in the wild and free to use, it will be interesting to see how it is leveraged.

When Apple released its cylindrical Mac Pro, I was in awe. Not only was it beautiful, but it wasn't form over function. Actually, a cylinder is a wise design choice, as it can aid in cooling when done correctly. Surprisingly, Windows PC manufacturers took a while to start really embracing the design.

Recently, for instance, HP announced the Wave -- a tube-like PC with integrated 360 degree Bang and Olufsen speaker. Now, Samsung is following HP with the ArtPC Pulse. It too features a 360 degree speaker in its design, but by the arguably superior Harman/Kardon. Where Samsung's offering greatly differs, however, is gaming. It has a respectable AMD RX460 GPU. As you can imagine, the drop-dead gorgeous ArtPC Pulse will not come cheap.

Linux distributions and silly names go together like peanut butter and jelly. For whatever reason, the maintainers of these operating systems seem to enjoy having fun with what they call them -- some argue it is childish. Even Google -- a billion dollar company -- uses sugary dessert names for the Linux-based Android operating system.

One of the most well-known Linux distributions to use funny names is Ubuntu. It famously uses the convention of an adjective and a lesser-known animal, each starting with the same letter. The letter is chosen sequentially by alphabet. For example, Ubuntu 16.10 uses the letter "Y" -- "Yakkety Yak". The next version of the operating system will use the letter "Z". While many folks hoped for "Zebra", that would be too obvious. Instead, Canonical has chosen "Zesty Zapus". Don't know what a zapus is? Neither did I. It is apparently a type of jumping mouse. The selection was not made at random, however, as the company has an explanation for the decision.