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Nowadays, more and more consumers are embracing the cloud for data storage and backup. This is not a mistake -- it is smart to store your files off premises. With that said, it is even smarter to also store the data locally for redundancy purposes. For instance, with local storage, if your internet connection is down, you can still access your files. With the cloud, if there is a disaster -- such as a house fire -- your data can be retrieved even if your local storage drives are destroyed. In other words, using the cloud and local storage together gives you the best of both worlds.

Picking local storage can be tricky, however. For cost purposes, a mechanical hard disk drive is still your best bet for backup. If you have a desktop, you can probably buy an internal drive, but laptop users aren't often as lucky. If you own a notebook, you most likely need to opt for an external USB drive. With USB 3.0 being fast enough for connecting a mechanical hard drive, even desktop users should probably consider it for convenience. I have been testing a very intriguing new external USB-C HDD with my MacBook Pro (running High Sierra). What makes the drive so special? It features 20TB of storage!

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Streaming media sticks have become an in-thing these days, with big releases from major players like Amazon and Roku. They plug into an HDMI port on any TV and bring you all sorts of entertainment goodness. The one drawback is that they aren't exactly mobile.

Now one company aims to change that, giving you all of your media on the go and just in time for a big travel season.

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Linux Mint is killing the KDE version of its operaring system -- a move some people applaud. That's what makes the new 18.3 version -- named "Sylvia" -- so frustrating. It's bizarre to release a new version of an operating system that essentially has no future. But oh well, here we are. After a short beta period, the KDE distro is now available for download -- if you still care. I recommend that KDE loyalists just switch to Kubuntu or Netrunner, but I digress.

Despite being the final version of Linux Mint KDE, it is still a great alternative to the consistently disappointing Windows 10. After all, it has been discovered that Microsoft is bundling a bug-ridden password-manager with its operating system without user consent! How can you trust such an OS?! Sigh.

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Voice control of computers and smartphones is becoming increasingly common, and for Android users a new option is opening up. Previously only available on Nexus and Pixel devices, support for the "Hey, Google" trigger is rolling out to more handsets.

This gives Android users another option for calling up Google's voice-activated assistant, adding to the existing "OK, Google" command.

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Microsoft has been bundling a password manager that features a dangerous flaw with some versions of Windows 10, a Google security researcher has revealed. Tavis Ormandy noticed that his copy of Windows 10 included Keeper, which he had previously found to be injecting privileged UI into pages.

The version that Microsoft was including with Windows 10 featured the same bug. What does this mean? In short, it allows any website to steal passwords from you.

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Artists' and creators' platform Patreon has scrapped controversial plans to introduce a new pricing structure after a vocal backlash from users.

The site -- used by many artists and creators to raise money -- had planned to add a service charge to pledges placed by patrons. While the new pricing structure would have reduced fees paid by artists, there was a fear that fewer pledges would be made due to fees having to be shouldered by those pledging money. CEO Jack Conte has now apologized and says that the company will work on a better system that does not unfairly impact upon smaller payments.

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If you're friends with someone on Facebook it should mean that you're interested in hearing about what they have to say and see what they have to share. But at the same time, it's likely you've been extremely annoyed by the incessant stream of babble that flows from some people.

You might not want to go quite as far as unfriending someone -- maybe you're just sick of them posting movie spoilers, or you're tired of hearing them go on about their team's latest success -- so Facebook has introduced a new Snooze option. This can be used to hide a particular person's posts for a month.

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Christmas is quickly approaching. If you haven't finished shopping for gifts, what the heck are you waiting for? The longer you wait, the more anxiety you will feel about potentially not having presents ready to give on the big day. Thanks to the internet, you really have no excuse -- other than a lack of money -- to be empty-handed when visiting with friends and family this holiday season.

Speaking of online shopping, Amazon is one of the most popular such retailers. Quite frankly, I have done about 90 percent of my Christmas shopping on that site. I mean, can you blame me? Amazon has competitive pricing, a huge selection, and great shipping options. In fact, today, the company announces that it is extending its free shipping offer until December 16. This means you can have gifts delivered by Christmas at no charge if you place your order no later than tomorrow -- no Prime needed!

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When some people -- such as suburbanites -- think of Google Maps, their minds likely go to motor vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, and trucks. People also use it for other types of transportation, however, such as walking, biking, and mass-transit. Google Maps works rather well for these various means of traveling, adjusting both the route and estimated time based on your selection.

Today, Google Maps for Android gains a new feature that will greatly benefit folks that ride the train or bus. You see, the app will now provide step-by-step directions for public transit navigation. In other words, the search giant is helping you to avoid missing your stop.

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It's fair to say that, in its current state, Bitcoin does not work as a means of payment for basic things. The average transaction fee is over $20, which makes common purchases, like a cup of coffee, virtually impossible to justify. However, as I noted in my What can you buy with Bitcoin? piece, things are different when we are looking at very expensive purchases.

One such scenario where using Bitcoin makes a whole lot of sense is buying a home. The transaction fee is negligible, as the cost is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, if we are looking at the median price of a US home.

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With a predicted 200 billion connected devices in use by 2020, the Internet of Things is leading to a massive growth in the number of powered devices.

While this is a massive opportunity for manufacturers it's also a problem as all of those devices have to be kept powered up. Batteries are the current solution, but they're expensive, limit the design and life of a device, and contain nasty substances that are difficult to dispose of when they reach the end of their life.

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Synology has been slowly refreshing its NAS lineup in the past couple months, and now it is adding two more models to the range. The star of the show is the FlashStation FS1018, a high-end NAS that, as its name suggests, is designed with all-flash storage in mind. The DiskStation DS218, meanwhile, is the new two bay, mid-range NAS for consumers.

The FS1018 is an impressive piece of kit. It can house up to 12 SSDs (SATA), has 8GB of ECC (error-correcting code) RAM as standard, a dual-core, 64-bit Intel processor, a 10Gb wired connection and support for the Btrfs file system, just to name some of the highlights.

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Cloud data protection and management specialist Druva has released the results of its 2017 AWS Cloud Data Protection Survey, which shows that the three biggest barriers for moving data to AWS for cloud storage are cost, security and lack of control.

But for respondents already in the cloud those same barriers are identified as the top benefits. One of the biggest benefits seen from those who have already moved their data to the cloud is cost savings (59 percent). Yet 49 percent of respondents who are considering a move cite cost as the number one barrier.

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All-in-one desktops are generally a terrible idea. Outside of saving desk space, there is really no benefit to combining a display and your computer into one unit. Hell, it is quite a negative, as if the display breaks, you have to get the whole damn thing fixed -- and vice versa. Not to mention, you are severely limited regarding upgrades -- it is often non-existent. Let us not forget that these computers typically use less-powerful mobile parts -- including processors and RAM.

With all of that said, today, after 6 months of waiting, Apple finally releases the first-ever iMac Pro -- a super-powerful version of its all-in-one desktop. Despite my aforementioned concerns about all-in-one computers, Mac power-users should probably check it out anyway. Why? Well, unfortunately for macOS fans, Apple really isn't selling a standalone desktop these days. Yeah, you can buy the "Garbage Can" Mac Pro or Mac mini, but those machines are outdated and not worth your money (a new Mac Pro is promised for the future). And so, the iMac Pro is here to hopefully satisfy Mac users with the need for power. There is only one problem -- the starting price is $5,000!

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Today is a huge day for Apple, as its much-anticipated iMac Pro finally goes on sale. While it isn’t a revolutionary product, the computer should placate vocal Mac users that have been clamoring for more power.

If you do decide to spend $5,000 or more on the iMac Pro (yes, that really is the starting price) you may not mind spending additional money on accessories for it. Today, Satechi unveils a new product designed for the iMac Pro, but also the standard iMac models too. Called “Aluminum Type-C Clamp Hub,” it attaches to the computer and delivers front-facing USB ports (Type-C and Type-A), plus both an SD and micro SD card reader. Believe it or not, this is necessary as Apple puts all of the computer’s ports on the rear -- not a great design.

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