Brian Fagioli

Can something as boring as Windows Terminal be made sexy? Well, maybe not necessarily in the erotic sense of the word (that would be super weird), but yes, the program apparently can be made more attractive and appealing thanks to some new customization options.

Today, Microsoft launches Windows Terminal Preview 1.16, and the new version has a whole bunch of changes such as a new text rendering engine and default colors. However, the truly exciting improvements are focused on the ability to customize things. You see, Microsoft has added an all-new themes feature and redesigned color schemes page. Ooh la la!

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Fedora and GNOME go together like peanut butter and jelly. It is the best Linux distribution combined with the greatest desktop environment. Not to mention, Fedora focuses on truly free and open source software. Sure, that may make the operating system a bit less inviting to Linux beginners, but many seasoned Linux experts know Fedora is the cream of the crop.

Today, Fedora 37 finally becomes available in Beta form, and the developers are hoping you will test it and provide some useful feedback. The most exciting aspect of Fedora 37 Beta is its use of GNOME 43, which is also in Beta. Also titillating is official Raspberry Pi 4 support, and yes, accelerated graphics are working. ARM fans will surely be happy about that, but sad to know the ARMv7 architecture will no longer be supported.

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Power supply units are arguably the unsung heroes of computer builds. They aren't very exciting, and they don't necessarily add to performance, but make no mistake -- having a quality PSU maters. A low-quality power supply can lead to system instability, and even worse, fires. Yeah, it is never worth it to choose a PSU from an unknown manufacturer.

LIAN LI is a very trustworthy and respected manufacturer of power supplies, and today, it launches its latest. Called "SP850," this is an 850W SFX power supply that comes with the latest-and-greatest 12VHPWR cable, making you ready for the newest cards. The modular PSU even comes in both white and black colors so you can make it look good in most computer builds.

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A few months ago, we shared with you that iOS 16 was on the way for Apple iPhone. Well, folks, today the operating system finally becomes available for iPhone 8 and higher. Yes, the five-year-old iPhone 8 can be updated to the latest version of iOS, putting Android to shame.

You see, some Android devices never get significant updates -- to get OS updates after 5 years with Android is pretty much unheard of. Yeah, being an Android user can be quite depressing, and iOS 16 makes Android 13 look like literal dog poop.

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While I am sure California is a nice place to live, it sure does seem like it has many problems. Not only does the state suffer from earthquakes, droughts, rampant homelessness, and wildfires, but increasingly, it is struggling to meet the electricity needs of its citizens. After all, as temperatures go up from global warming, more and more people will turn on air conditioners.

Thankfully, smart thermostats have the ability to alleviate some of these power consumption woes. You see, not only are these connected devices convenient, they can be controlled by the power companies during power usage spikes. With your permission, the power company can adjust your air conditioning slightly so that blackouts and brownouts can hopefully be prevented. Sometimes you will even be compensated for participating in such a thing.

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Mechanical keyboards are rather wonderful, but they are typically very tall and chunky too. The keys are often quite high, leading to wrist and/or finger fatigue for some users. While I love the feedback and accuracy of some mechanical keyboards, I often appreciate slim offerings such as Apple's Magic Keyboard.

What if a keyboard could offer the best of both worlds, however? Could a keyboard use premium mechanical keyswitches while also being super slim? Apparently, yes. You see, the all-new CORSAIR K100 AIR is a mechanical keyboard that is shockingly thin.

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Earlier today, Apple announced some cool new products, such as the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch 8. As expected, the company also unveiled the second generation AirPods Pro, and you'll never guess what they are called! Apple's marketing team worked really hard on a name for the product and came up with... AirPods Pro. Yup, to make things more confusing for shoppers, the new variant has the exact same name as its predecessor.

Sadly, this new 2022 version of AirPods Pro are lacking a huge feature many have been hoping for -- USB-C charging. Sigh. Once again, Apple has included a Lightning port, although an Apple Watch charger can now charge the wireless earbuds too. The earbuds do get some cool new features, however, such as an integrated location speaker on the charging case (which also gets a lanyard loop), touch controls, improved low-distortion audio driver, custom amp, longer battery life, and more.

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Are there way too many Linux distributions these days? Absolutely. More specifically, there are far too many operating systems that are based on other operating systems. If I see one more Linux distro based on Debian or Arch, I swear I am going to literally puke.

Linux distributions based on Slackware, however, are far less common these days, so such distros are definitely worth some attention. Today, the Slackware-based Salix 15 becomes available for download. This Linux-based operating system uses the Xfce 4.16 desktop environment and kernel 5.15.63. In addition to Flatpak support, this version of the distro comes with some excellent software pre-installed, such as Firefox 102 ESR, GIMP 2.10, and LibreOffice 7.4. Believe it or not, there are even versions for both 32-bit and 64-bit processors!

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Once of the most beautiful and user-friendly operating systems is a Linux distribution from China called deepin. If you are dissatisfied with Windows 11 or macOS, and you are intrigued by Linux, deepin can be a great choice if you highly value beauty and well-designed user interfaces.

The newest version of that operating system, deepin 20.7, is now ready to be downloaded, and it is chock-full of bug fixes and new features such as improved Grand Search with Google integration and an enhanced Mail app with new calendar functionality. Yes, this looks to be the best version of deepin yet!

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USB4 is already plenty fast, with its theoretical maximum speed of 40Gbps. Quite frankly, it is much faster than most consumers truly need. Most people are not even taking full advantage of current USB4 speeds. But rather than leave well enough alone, The USB Promoter Group has instead decided to push boundaries once again, this time with what it calls USB4 Version 2.0.

The group has announced this second generation of USB4 doubles maximum transfer speeds, this time topping out at 80Gbps. But don't worry; the new standard is backwards compatible with the first gen of USB4, plus the even older USB 3.2, USB 2.0, and Thunderbolt 3. Best of all, USB4 2.0 performance should be possible using existing USB4 cables.

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If you are still using one of these old devices -- iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, or iPod touch (6th generation) -- I have some very interesting news. Believe it or not, Apple has issued an emergency update for the iOS 12 operating system. More specifically, it will update your compatible device to iOS 12.5.6.

Why is Apple doing this? Well, it seems a very serious Webkit bug -- that is possibly being actively exploited -- was discovered by an anonymous researcher. Apparently, enough people are still using these old devices that Apple felt it was necessary to patch it.

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PC gamers know how great a curved monitor can be. These displays create a superior gaming experience, allowing the game-player to be immersed in the gameplay. Not to mention, a curved monitor appears very attractive when sitting on a desk -- it simply looks cool.

Today, Samsung unveils one of the most beautiful curved displays ever. Called "Odyssey OLED G8," this 34-inch OLED monitor features a 3,440 x 1,440 QHD resolution, 21:9 aspect ratio, 175Hz refresh, 0.1ms response, and AMD FreeSync Premium compatibility. And yes, there is RGB lighting on the rear, because... gaming!

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Apple's iPad is a tablet, yes, but when you add a keyboard case, it magically becomes a laptop. But did you know the new M1-powered iPad tablets with USB-C can also serve as a legit desktop? It is true! By plugging in a USB-hub, you can connect a keyboard, mouse, monitor, and/or external storage. The desktop capabilities of Apple's M1 tablets will greatly improve with the upcoming iPadOS 16 too.

Today, Satechi launches the "USB-C Mobile Pro Hub SD," which is primarily designed for M1 iPad devices such as iPad Pro and iPad Air 5. The hub plugs into the bottom of the tablet and offers HDMI (4K compatible), USB-A (up to 5Gbps), 3.5mm audio, SD card reader, and microSD carder. It even offers USB-C power delivery (up to 60W) so you can charge the iPad while the hub is in use. There is only a single USB-A port, however, so you will need to use a wireless mouse and/or keyboard -- both cannot be wired.

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Logitech's G502 gaming mouse is iconic and popular, and now, the company is refreshing it with a special "X" moniker. The Logitech "G502 X," as it is called, can be pre-ordered immediately, and there are three variants from which to choose -- wired, wireless, and plus.

The wired version, as you can guess, connects to your PC using a USB cable. While some consumers will consider a wired mouse to be inferior, I actually prefer it -- there is no battery to recharge. Both the wireless and plus models connect without a cable thanks to the included LIGHTSPEED USB-A dongle. They both charge over USB-C, but only the plus variant has RGB lighting.

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M.2 solid state drives are great options for both laptops and desktop PCS. Hell, if you add such a drive to a compatible enclosure (such as this one), you can transform it into a portable SSD too. But did you know you can upgrade the storage of your PlayStation 5 video game console by adding an M.2 drive?

And now, Lexar has a new M.2 SSD that is designed for both PC and Sony PlayStation 5. Called "Professional NM800 PRO," this PCIe Gen4x4 M.2 2280 SSD offers impressive speeds and is being offered either with or without a heatsink.

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