Size matters. Well, when it comes to computers, at least. Look, long gone are the days of having dedicated computer rooms where a family shares a single monstrous tower. With so many adults moving back home with their parents, houses and apartments are much more cramped, meaning fewer vacant rooms. True, a laptop can alleviate this, but so can a diminutive desktop. By taking up less space (some can even be VESA mounted to the rear of a monitor), a compact PC can allow a desk or table to serve other purposes than simply being home to a tower.

There are many choices in the compact PC market nowadays, such as the brilliant System76 Meerkat, or the new HP mini computers -- Wave and Slice. If you want a barebones system, however, GIGABYTE's BRIX line is a legit alternative to Intel's own NUC. Today, BRIX gets a refresh with all-new 7th Gen Intel 'Kaby Lake' Processors.

The Android smartphone market is in disarray. Samsung smartphones are exploding like bombs, while Google's too-high Pixel pricing and likely cancellation of the Nexus line are both recent bombshells. In other words, it is a confusing time for consumers looking for a high-quality and safe Android device.

Luckily, a lot of value can be found by choosing lesser-known brands, such as Honor by Huawei. The affordable Honor 8 Android smartphone is rather inexpensive at $399, offering a beautiful design and respectable specifications. To celebrate Columbus Day tomorrow, the company is giving a special one-day $50 discount. Yes, you can score yourself a seemingly good phone starting at a very low $349 -- a fraction of the cost of flagships from some other companies.

Whenever a major tragedy hits, there is an immediate need for communication. Whether it is a natural disaster, terrorism, or some sort of accident, friends and family want to confirm the safety of their loved ones. After 9/11, for instance, it was heartbreaking to see people not know the fate of the missing -- quickly connecting people can quell fears and anxieties.

Cellular phones and other technologies can make communication easier, but running out of data or talk minutes can make it useless. After all, if you can't connect to the internet or make/receive calls, what is the point? Some Verizon customers impacted by Hurricane Matthew will not have to worry about this, however, as the cellular provider is giving them unlimited data, text, and talk at no additional charge.

Ubuntu Core is a very different operating system than traditional Ubuntu. While both are Linux distributions, "Core" takes a different approach to package management, using modular "snaps". This way of computing is quite brilliant, as it removes dependencies and keeps everything in its own sort of sandbox. While the focus of Core seems to be the cloud and IoT devices, some people -- including yours truly -- see the writing on the wall. The Core design may eventually become the foundation of regular Ubuntu too.

Today, Canonical announces the latest Ubuntu Core 16 beta with feature freeze. If you are a home desktop Linux user, this is definitely not for you. Instead, this should be tested by developers and those that have a genuine use for Core.

If you need a portable Bluetooth speaker, you can never go wrong with Ultimate Ears. All of the company's products are great, with a focus on listening to music and having fun. Some of its wireless speakers even support Siri and Google Now.

The company's UE BOOM 2 is a personal favorite. Not only is the Bluetooth speaker rugged and well-designed, but it produces satisfying audio too. Today, Ultimate Ears announces an all-new limited edition version called 'Yaqui Day of the Dead'. It retains the same 15-hour battery life and long 100 foot range, but adds a new design by a famed artist.

Many companies like to talk about diversity and inclusion nowadays, but for some, it seems to be nothing more than a way to get positive publicity. True diversity is not about having a balanced employee pie chart to show off to the media, but giving everyone opportunities despite things like gender, skin color, sex, and religion.

Today, Google announces that its 'Code Next' initiative is officially launching in Oakland, California. What is it, exactly? The search giant is looking to help Black and Hispanic students to get excited about computer science. Sadly, according to Google, more than half of Black students, and close to half of Hispanic students, do not have access to computer science learning. 'Code Next' is looking to change this.

The LG V10 was one of the biggest surprises of 2015. While it wasn't marketed as a flagship, many folks -- including yours truly -- preferred it to the LG G4. The V10 was special, as it featured an exclusive extra screen at the top of the device. While the secondary display looked like a gimmick, it actually worked well -- it proved useful. The LG V10 was built like a tank too, making it one of the best Android phones ever.

Earlier this year, LG released its G5 flagship, and sadly, it was a dud. It had build-quality issues, and was overall a boring product. The interchangeable modules were poorly executed, making it a bad choice. Luckily, the successor to the V10 is on the way to wash the bad taste of the G5 out of consumers' mouths. Don't worry -- the LG V20 has the extra screen like its predecessor. If you want to buy it on T-Mobile, I have good news -- today, the company reveals the release date. As icing on the cake, the cellular carrier is giving away high-end headphones when you buy the LG device.

Machine learning and vision are essential technologies for the advancement of robotics. When sensors come together, they can enable a computer or robot to collect data and images in real-time.

A good example of this technology in real-world use is the latest Roomba vacuums. As the robot cleans your dirty floor, it is using sensors combined with a camera to map your home. Today, Google releases Cartographer -- an open source project that developers can use for many things, such as robots and self-driving cars.

When you want a laptop running Ubuntu, you can always purchase a Windows machine and replace the operating system. Why bother with that hassle, though? Instead, it is smart to buy a machine pre-loaded with a Linux-based operating from a company like System76.

While System76 sells brilliant Ubuntu-powered laptops and desktops, it is not the only game in town. Actually, believe it or not, Dell has long been a proponent of Linux, even before 'Project Sputnik'. Its Ubuntu-powered XPS 13 Developer Edition laptops have been quite popular, and for good reason -- they are built well and are very beautiful. Today, Dell announces a refresh with 7th-gen Intel Kaby Lake processors. The 13-inch laptop even gets a new color option -- rose gold.

If you think you and your data are safe on the internet, think again. As we increasingly entrust companies with our data and information, many of these entities end up letting us down. For instance, in a bombshell reveal, we recently learned that Yahoo was scanning user email for the US government. Yes, the company violated the trust that users gave it.

Earlier this year, Open Whisper Systems was served with a subpoena from the Eastern District of Virginia asking it to turn over Signal messaging user information for a federal grand jury investigation. While this sounds like the beginning of a sad story for users of the service, it is actually a beautiful tale with a very happy ending. You see, thanks to the company's focus on encryption and smart design, it was unable to turn over any meaningful data. In other words, the service was created in such a way that the desired information couldn't be presented even if the company wanted to. Too bad that Yahoo didn't design its services in the same way, eh?

While the Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton presidential debate broke a YouTube record, tonight's vice presidential debate isn't likely to garner the same audience. That's not to say that Senator Tim Kaine (Democrat) and Governor Mike Pence (Republican) aren't formidable debaters, its just that VP is a less exciting position than president. With that said, fans of politics and unsure voters will likely tune in to learn more about both men.

If you want to watch the debate but do not have a television, do not panic. Networks are live-streaming the debate on Google's YouTube, meaning if you have a computer or mobile device, you can watch it over the internet. To make things easier, we here at BetaNews have embedded some of the streams below. If you prefer Spanish, that is an option too. You can even tell us who you think won in the comments.

When wireless routers first went mainstream they felt like magic. Connecting your laptop to the internet without a cable? Amazing. As time marched on, routers became more impressive, getting longer range and faster speeds. Nowadays, there are many affordable routers on the market, and many consumers are happy with them.

Apparently, Google thinks the router needs to be reinvented, as today it announces the unimaginatively named "Wifi'. Yes folks, that is what the search giant came up with as the name for its Wi-Fi router. This product is special, as it is very easy to set up and multiple units can be connected to blanket a large area in mesh wireless internet. Its small stature should make it a good fit in any room too.

Amazon is my absolute favorite retailer. Not only are its prices fair, but with a Prime subscription, I get free two-day shipping on many products. Instant gratification is a must nowadays, and waiting more than a couple of days for an item to arrive can be unbearable. Of course, Prime gives you much more than just fast shipping, but I digress.

Another great aspect of the site is the customer reviews, helping shoppers find quality products based on the honest recommendations of others. Sadly, incentivized reviews have damaged the trustworthiness of the feedback. Too many recent Amazon reviews have the caveat that the product was given to the reviewer for free in exchange for a review. Many people, including yours truly, were getting tired of seeing this. Thankfully, as of today, Amazon is prohibiting these incentivized reviews.

Microsoft's Band wearable is actually a decent product, albeit very limited. As Apple Watch dominates the smartwatch market with exciting features and apps, Band is essentially just a boring fitness wearable. While being focused isn't necessarily a bad thing, it is simply too expensive and uncomfortable for what it is. There were some significant quality issues too, such as the strap tearing.

Today, Microsoft essentially kills the Band. It has pulled the wearable from its stores, while also shocking the world by announcing a third-generation model will not be released in 2016. True, a Band 3 was never officially announced, but the Microsoft faithful were holding out hope for the holidays. Sadly, just like Windows 10 Mobile, it is time to bury the Band six feet under. Rest in Peace, little wearable!

When buying PC components for a build, there are many things to consider. While brand, performance, and quality are obviously the most important factors, appearance sometimes matters too. True, not everyone cares about how computer parts look, but some people take pride in the overall appearance of their PC -- especially when a window-case is used.

CORSAIR is a well-respected company when it comes to memory, and its latest offering will likely bolster those opinions. The newly-launched DOMINATOR PLATINUM Special Edition DDR4 Memory kits are not only fast, but drop-dead gorgeous too.