Brian Fagioli

As an American, I have an obsession with food -- it is a big part of our culture. As my last name implies, I also have some Italian heritage, meaning the act of eating is not only a means of staying alive, but a way to celebrate pretty much everything. Heck, I even love watching cooking shows and competitions -- Chopped is my favorite.

As a tech-guy who loves social media, I also share pictures of my meals with friends and family on Facebook and Twitter. Speaking of the latter, there is an all-new 'Twitter Food Council' and associated hashtag (#FoodFlock). This new initiative is a way for lovers of food -- chefs, bakers, eaters, etc. -- to share their love of culinary arts on the social network.

Continue reading →

Some smartphones can be expensive. When you spend a lot of money on a device, it can be quite the anxiety-creating affair. Whenever you pull it out of your pocket, you must worry about breaking it, and ultimately wasting many hundreds of dollars. This can be said about less expensive devices as well, depending on your economic situation, of course.

One of the most painful things to break or scratch on a smartphone is the screen, as it is how you interact with the pocket-computer. Luckily, Corning's line of Gorilla Glass can make these screens a bit more durable. Today, the company unveils the fifth iteration of its technology.

Continue reading →

Windows Phone was a terrible experiment that never got off the ground. Microsoft's mobile operating system was never popular with developers, nor did many consumers care about it. With that said, some of the company's most loyal fans did embrace it, however. Not to mention, due to low prices, a small number of unknowing budget-hunters bought the much maligned phones too.

Fast forward to today, and Microsoft has moved on to Windows 10 Mobile. Sadly, its newest mobile push is not doing well either, but I digress. As a final slap in the face to users that own Windows Phones that cannot be upgraded to Windows 10 Mobile, Microsoft is killing Skype support for the platform.

Continue reading →

While there are many Linux-based operating systems to choose from nowadays, not all of them are great. Quite frankly, there are probably only a handful of distributions that I would truly recommend.

My absolute favorite Linux-based operating system is Fedora, but understandably, it is not ideal for all beginners. While I like the focus on free software only, some folks need some non-free stuff. Adding repos and setting up some of this software can be tricky for some. Luckily, Korora is a distro that takes the work out of setting up Fedora for beginners. Today, it achieves version 24, code-named 'Sheldon'.

Continue reading →

Inexpensive Android smartphones are nothing new. Getting premium quality phones at a low price is fairly new, however. While some folks hail these respectable wallet-friendly devices as a win for consumers, others -- such as yours truly -- view it as a race to the bottom which could ultimately harm the Android market overall.

Today, ZTE announces the ZMAX PRO Android smartphone. This device is chock full of premium features, such as an octa-core Snapdragon 617 processor, 2GB of RAM, expandable storage, and a fingerprint reader. The truly amazing aspect, however, is the price -- a shockingly low $99.

Continue reading →

While USB-C is not yet a must-have, it is certainly a great feature to have on any computer. The reversible standard can act as a single port for expansion, making extremely thin laptop and tablet designs possible. In other words, having big integrated legacy ports like Ethernet or USB Type-A aren't really needed, thanks to useful dongles.

Today, SMK-Link Electronics announces a beautiful such expansion dongle that acts as a docking station for Windows 10 and macOS. A single Type-C port on your computer (such as on the Apple MacBook or Huawei MateBook) can be transformed into something much more.

Continue reading →

There is a common misconception that all things Linux are bulletproof. The fact is, no software is infallible. When news of a Linux vulnerability hits, some Windows and Mac fans like to taunt users of the open source kernel. Sure, it might be in good fun, but it can negatively impact the Linux community's reputation -- a blemish, if you will.

Today, Canonical announces that the Ubuntu forums have been hacked. Keep in mind, this does not mean that the operating system has experienced a vulnerability or weakness. The only thing affected are the online forums that people use to discuss the OS. Still, such a hack is embarrassing, as it was caused by Canonical's failure to install a patch.

Continue reading →

Pokemon Go isn't a particularly good game. The environments are rather plain, gameplay is amateurish, and there are server issues galore. Ultimately, the phenomenon is fueled by millennial nostalgia and curiosity about augmented reality. In other words, the game's shelf life could be very short.

T-Mobile is wisely being opportunistic and cashing in on the fad, however. Today, the cell phone carrier announces it is giving its customers unlimited data for Pokemon Go. Is the game popular enough to drive consumers to switch to T-Mobile?

Continue reading →

While Nintendo largely failed with its poorly received Wii U console, it has certainly reversed its bad luck with the popular Pokemon Go. What was once a company that seemed in trouble it has seen its stock soar thanks to the nostalgia-heavy augmented reality mobile game.

Nintendo is looking to keep the nostalgia-fueled momentum going it seems, with a new console. The NES Classic Edition is a mini game system with 30 pre-loaded classic games (not cartridges). One big benefit is getting native HDMI out -- something the original NES consoles do not offer. Believe it or not, the price is quite reasonable too.

Continue reading →

In Asia, cellphones have been used as payment methods for many years. In other parts of the world, however, it is only just starting to take off thanks to smartphones. Paying for things with my iPhone and Apple Pay feels like magic to me, although I am sure many millennials are hardly impressed.

Google has been working on competing against Apple Pay with its similarly named Android Pay, and it is slowly rolling out across the globe. Today, the search-giant's phone-based payment platform officially lands in Australia.

Continue reading →

There is a semi-disturbing trend happening in the Android market nowadays -- very affordable smartphones. Before you call me nuts, it's true there is nothing inherently wrong with a consumer saving money, but a race to the bottom can hurt the platform overall. No-name manufacturers are leveraging decent specs and selling phones at insanely low prices, making profits tough for the big-name players. If Android becomes unprofitable, why will anyone bother?

ZTE is a lesser-known company in the USA, but I wouldn't categorize them as being "no-name". Today, it announces that its Axon 7 smartphone is coming to America, and at a rather affordable price. It's a nice balance, actually, as the specs are flagship-level, while the price tag is not overly low as to cannibalize the sales of others. It is a good blueprint of what specs/pricing for Android should be. You can pre-order this beautiful and powerful smartphone starting today.

Continue reading →

For a long time I was very high on Skype. As a Windows, Linux, and iOS user, its cross-platform nature made it a dream. Unfortunately, Microsoft started neglecting the Linux desktop client, causing it to become outdated from a design perspective and not entirely functional. I assumed the Windows 10-maker simply no longer cared about Linux on the desktop.

I assumed wrong. Shockingly, Microsoft announces a new Skype client for Linux -- currently in Alpha. In other words, Skype for Linux is back, figuratively speaking.  The company is pledging its support for desktop operating systems based on the open source kernel. Will Linux users embrace it?

Continue reading →

When buying a router for your home, there are many things to consider. While price is always a factor, you never want to save money by going with a low-quality offering. You should do your research and get the best hardware for your budget -- while sticking with a reputable brand, of course.

ZyXEL is not a household name, but the Taiwan-based company does offer solid hardware at affordable prices. When I've needed something like a network switch or USB Wi-Fi dongle, I have chosen its products due to low prices, but have been very satisfied with the quality. I've never tried its wireless routers, but today, the company announces its newest such model -- the ARMOR Z2 AC2600 -- and it has me intrigued.

Continue reading →

Windows 10 is a great operating system, and many of Microsoft's services integrate well with it. For instance, if you need cloud storage, One Drive is conveniently pre-installed and ready to go.

While music fans have a lot of streaming choices on Windows 10, none is better for that OS than Microsoft's Groove Music Pass. Not only does it look and sound great, but it has a huge library of music. Best of all, it integrates with the desktop brilliantly. Heck, there is both a web and Xbox version too. It even has an official client for iOS, Windows Phone, and Android. The smartphone experience isn't fabulous, but it is passable. If you are interested in signing up, I have good news -- you can score 3 months for free! This is perfect timing for the summer and back-to-school. Intrigued? Read on.

Continue reading →

Airplanes are one of the most important inventions. Why do I say this? Well, without them, the world would be a lot larger -- figuratively speaking, that is. You see, if we were limited to things like boats, buses, and and trains, it would take much longer to travel. What are relatively short trips by plane nowadays would be incredibly lengthy and tedious. Thanks to airplanes, you can travel from USA to say, Europe, in less than a day -- a miracle!

Of course, technology and air travel are forever linked, and today we learn that Japan Airlines is leveraging augmented reality to assist in the training of its pilots. This isn't just any AR, however, but Microsoft's exciting HoloLens solution.

Continue reading →