Brian Fagioli

Growing up, I watched a lot of television -- hey, thats what we American kids did in the 80s. One of my favorite things to watch was old episodes of the Andy Griffith Show. You see, it was fun to see how people lived in simpler times. Plus, it was interesting to see a sheriff and deputy keep the peace without hardly ever needing a gun.

Unfortunately for Andy and Barney, there were no computers back then in Mayberry. While the internet would have disrupted the simpler lifestyle, it also would have helped them solve crimes. Heck, they could have implanted GPS in Otis the Drunk to keep track of him. Today, technology is abundant and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has adopted Microsoft's Office 365 to assist them in official business. Yes, Office 365 has been deputized!

Modern classrooms are often anything but -- they can be very outdated. This comes down to many factors, including funding. However, antiquated techniques that are still in practice can be blamed on a lack of technology too. Teachers are not always educated in the newest education management software. Even if they are, it can sometimes be clunky and not cost effective.

Google is aiming to change this with a new tool it calls Classroom. This teaching management solution will eventually be a part of the Google Apps for Education (at no additional charge). Today, to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Day, the search giant is accepting applications from teachers to test it.

I think it safe to say that the Chromebook movement has exceeded all expectations. What first seemed like a silly Google experiment has blossomed into a legit Windows threat. As the average home user spends more and more time in the browser, Chrome OS becomes the perfect compliment to their lives. The stars definitely aligned for Google too -- a much maligned Windows 8 and poor economy made a low cost alternative laptop very attractive.

While many top manufacturers such as Dell, Acer and HP have created great Chromebooks, the world has been anxious to see Lenovo deliver a consumer model. After all, that company is synonymous with quality. Well, today is that day and the manufacturer has done it in epic fashion, by delivering two models. While the N20 ($279) is rather typical, the N20p ($329) is a multi-mode, touch-screen variant that has my heart aflutter.

Money is the key to solving many of life's problems. If you have cash, you can just throw it at your problems and like magic, they go away. Computer-building is the same way. I mean, if you want a nice computer, you only need to buy quality parts. However, throwing money at a system-build is the coward's way. For a system build to impress me, it should be a mix of power and value. Most importantly, it shouldn't be wasteful. For example, if you buy 16GB of RAM and dual graphics cards to run in SLI, but all you want to do is surf the web, you have failed. You should have saved some money and built a more tame computer. Now, there is nothing wrong with planning on the future and building for perceived possible future needs, but it is easy to overdo it.

When I first caught wind of AMD's AM1 platform, I was immediately intrigued. Like I said, I am impressed with value and this new platform certainly meets that criteria. If you aren't familiar, the AM1 platform is socket-upgradeable and extremely affordable. The system I have been testing has a motherboard that sells for $35 and a processor (APU) that costs $60 and that is on the higher end of the platform! Excited? Read on.

When desktop computing is discussed, there are typically three major operating systems mentioned -- Windows, OS X and Chrome OS. As great as some Linux distributions are, they still are not mainstream enough to be considered by most home users. However, besides Chrome OS, there is another Linux-based operating system which could be a future desktop option -- Android.

True, Android is mostly a mobile OS, for tablets and phones. However, there have been Android-powered desktops and laptops in the past, but they haven't lit the world on fire. Today, respected monitor manufacturer AOC is launching two new Android-powered all-in-one desktops in 22 inch ($299) and 24 inch ($399) variants. Should home users consider them?

Technology in education is a huge topic right now. Companies are trying to break into the education market as it can be wildly profitable. Plus, the hope is, kids will want their parents to buy them the same type of computer as used in school. In other words, potentially, the education market could drive home-computer sales. However, that theory did not work out well for Apple. Years ago, many schools had Apple computers, but parents still bought IBM-compatibles.

While Google has been making a lot of noise lately in the education segment, let us not forget that Microsoft still reigns supreme. Chromebooks are great, but Windows and Office are still the gold standards. Today, Microsoft announces that not only has it improved its "Bing in the Classroom" program (including the new name), but it is making it available to all US schools too. Nice!

Students nowadays are very blessed to have so much inexpensive technology at their fingertips. When I was a young boy in elementary school, I had to learn the Dewey Decimal System so I could find outdated books in a smelly library. Even if I found a decent book, there was often doodles of private-parts on the pages. Hell, writing something like a book report was done with a pen and paper because, who could afford a computer?

Chromebooks and Google services are now empowering students with access to technology that enhances the learning experience and increases group collaboration possibilities. The search-giant even offers a solution called 'Google for Education', which it describes as "affordable devices, innovative tools, and educational content built just for the classroom. Technology that helps inspire curiosity and boost productivity". The Hillsborough Township School District is the first district to offer the complete Google for Education package and it is seeing great success.

Chromebooks are very capable computers that many dismiss as a glorified web browser. However, those detractors should think outside the box a bit. For many people, the low-cost Chromebook can meet all of their needs. If all you need is a hammer, it is silly to argue that the hammer isn't also a screwdriver. If all you need is to drive nails, the hammer is fine.

One company, Doctor.com, has found that Chromebooks are meeting a need in a certain usage case. In other words, it is the right tool for the job. Even though a Macbook or Windows laptop may offer more features, the extra cost is wasted if the features are not needed.

Are you familiar with the story of the Boy Who Cried Wolf? Basically, a shepherd boy watching over some sheep thought it would be funny to lie and shout "Wolf!", as a joke. Ultimately, when a wolf really does come, no one believes him and all of the sheep are slaughtered.

Apparently, Microsoft is not aware of this story. The company has been proclaiming Windows XP to be dead and no longer supported over and over again, in an attempt to get users to upgrade. Windows 8.1 has even seen an increase in usage lately, possibly as a result. Today, the company announces that it will issue an Internet Explorer security update for Windows XP. If Microsoft is crying wolf, are XP users the slaughtered sheep?

Lessons can be learned anywhere at anytime. As a child, a visit to the playground can teach you about balance when using the seesaw. You see, if one kid is fat and heavy and the other is light and svelte, the experience will not be ideal. Proper balance is the key.

The same can be said of consumer products. For example, a gold-plated phone would be wonderful, but too expensive. Like the seesaw, a manufacturer must balance price with quality. Today, Logitech announces a revolutionary, modular, iPhone 5/5s case, but sadly it costs a staggering $200. Is it too expensive?

Keyboards and mice definitely take abuse. I have witnessed some horrific keyboard conditions -- full of crumbs, dust and lord-knows-what. Not to mention, have you looked in the seams of your mouse lately? There may be a build-up of grime -- yuck! Gamers in particular are known to severely beat the crap out of their input devices when playing a stressful game. Even if it isn't intentional, as a game of Quake 4 heats up, people are known to smash the keys on the keyboard and the buttons on their mouse.

If gamers are known to beat the crap out of their input devices when stressed, what is to say we all don't? In other words, whether writing a paper or editing a spreadsheet under a deadline, maybe the amount of pressure that the person uses can detect stress. Well, Microsoft researcher Mary Czerwinski and her team decided to prove that theory through experimentation. The findings are eye-opening.

One of the major knocks on Google, is that the company collects its users' data. It is that data, coupled with advertising, that makes most of the search-giant's services free. Something being "free", however, is subjective. In other words, just because actual money is not being exchanged, does not mean that something valuable isn't. Your data is very valuable. So is Gmail truly free?

That is a decision that adult users must make. If they don't mind Google scanning their emails, that is OK. Quite frankly, there is nothing morally wrong with this approach on Google's behalf. However, children are an entirely different argument. Harvesting a child's data for profit comes off poorly to many, including myself. Sadly, Google had been doing just that -- scanning the contents of students' email accounts. By definition, this is spying, but luckily Google has decided to stop.

Today, Acer unveiled many nice products, but only one of them stood out as the best of show. Surprisingly, the device does not run Android or Chrome OS -- it runs Windows 8.1. Yes, a multi-mode 10.1-inch laptop/tablet hybrid running Microsoft's operating system was the stand-out.

As a Surface 2 owner, I have much respect for Windows 8.x as a tablet operating system. However, outside of the Surface line, 10-inch tablets have been disappointing to say the least. The Acer Aspire Switch 10 is the first Windows device that truly competes with the Surface. Hell, it may even be a Surface killer!

As you may be aware, I am currently at the Acer event in New York City. As a Chromebook fan, I was most excited by the new model that features an Intel Core i3 processor. After all, this should be a very powerful Chrome OS machine.

However, I was not satisfied with seeing it from afar. So, I did what any tech journalist would do, went hands on and snapped some exclusive pictures.

Today Acer is holding a large event, which is uncharacteristic of the company. Rumors are flying all over the place as to why. Will there be new Chromebooks? A Chrome tablet? New Android Devices? A wearable?

We will know soon enough. The event is called "A Touch More Connected" and will kick off at 10AM ET. I will be live-blogging from the front row. Stay tuned!