Brian Fagioli

If you are a fan of pirating TV shows and movies, you have undoubtedly used Plex over the years. If you aren't familiar, the service uses a server/client concept, where you store your media on one machine and then stream it to another device. While Plex technically can be used for legally-obtained media, I predict that many (if not most) of its users are watching pirated content. Look, I'm not judging... I'm just trying to be honest.

And now, the Plex Desktop app and new Plex HTPC client app are both available for Linux -- but only from the Snap Store. Don't like Canonical's snaps? Don't worry, according to a blog post, the Plex developers are planning to roll out flatpak versions eventually too. Before anyone starts arguing about snap vs flatpak, let's just celebrate another big win for the Linux community overall. Okay?

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We here at BetaNews often sing the praises of Tails, as the Linux-based operating system allows you to surf the web more privately. This is particularly important for those living under oppressive governments, such as China and Russia, but it can be beneficial for all internet users -- even those in the good ol' USA.

Sadly, it seems we must warn against using Tails for now, as it has been discovered that there is a significant vulnerability in the operating system. More specifically, a vulnerability was found in the Firefox and Tor web browsers, which are core aspects of Tails 5.0. The vulnerability is so severe, that the Tails developers are asking users to suspend use of the Live distribution entirely until a Tails 5.1 ISO is released next week.

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How do you make a portable SSD a "gaming" drive? Just add RGB lighting, of course! Today, Lexar launches a new solid state drive that it claims is designed for gaming. Is that just marketing? Yes and no. Called "SL660 BLAZE," the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 SSD features RGB lighting and comes with a really cool stand to prop it up. While the drive itself has a USB-C connector, it comes with both a USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A cable in the box.

Besides the RGB lighting gimmick (which is very cool), the SL660 BLAZE actually can benefit gamers that need to store games on both PC and console. The drive offers respectable read speeds of up to 2,000MB/s and write speeds of up to 1,900MB/s. Of course, the drive can be used by anyone that wants a fast and attractive SSD -- it isn't just limited to gaming.

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Logitech's MX Master wireless mice are very popular with consumers, but I am not a big fan. Don't get me wrong, these mice are very well-made, but they are a bit too big for my small hands. Not to mention, I find some of the extra bells-and-whistles like the clickable thumb rest and thumb scroll-wheel to be unnecessary and distracting. In other words, not everyone will enjoy using an MX Master mouse.

Today, Logitech launches its latest such mouse -- the MX Master 3S. As the name suggests, it is only a slight improvement over the existing MX Master 3; it apparently isn't worthy of an "MX Master 4" moniker. What makes the 3S better than the 3? Essentially, it has up to 90 percent quieter clicking and an improved 8,000 DPI optical sensor. In other words, if you already have an MX Master 3, upgrading to the S variant would be a bit silly.

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If you have ever driven a car and needed directions, there's a good chance you have tried Waze. The Google-owned service is very popular thanks to its crowdsourced traffic information -- any user can report traffic jams, police speed traps, and more. It really is a useful app that can reduce travel times.

One of the coolest features of Waze is the ability to integrate with music-streaming services, such as Spotify, so you don't have to exit the navigation app to interact with music controls. This isn't just for convenience, but for safety purposes too. Sadly, the wildly popular Apple Music has not been compatible with the aforementioned Waze feature, but today, this finally changes.

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Solid state drives don't just make wonderful internal boot drives for computers -- they're excellent for external storage too. Not only are they smaller than mechanical hard disk drives, but they use less power and are much faster as well. Quite frankly, if you are someone that needs to transport data on a portable drive, you'd be insane to still use a HDD with moving parts.

But what if you lose that external solid state drive? Well, if the content is unencrypted, your files could be exposed to the finder. This is particularly problematic for business users that are storing company secrets or private customer data. Thankfully, a new USB-C solid state drive from Kingston makes it super easy to encrypt and decrypt your data. You see, the VP80ES IronKey Vault Privacy 80 is a hardware-encrypted (FIPS 197 certified with XTS-AES 256-bit) SSD with a color touchscreen that allows you to enter a passcode, password, pin, or phrase.

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Are all PCIe 4.0 solid state drives fast? Absolutely. However, they aren't all the same speed. For instance, the Mushkin SSD we covered here can achieve read speeds up to 7,415MB/s -- that is really fast. A new SSD called "UD90" from Silicon Power, however, can only do up to 4,800MB/s.

Yes, folks, we have two M.2 drives, both with the same PCIe Gen 4x4 interface, but one is significantly faster than the other. In other words, the UD90 is rather slow as a PCIe Gen 4.0 drive... comparatively. And yet, compared to SATA-based solid state drives, the UD90 is actually incredibly fast.

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Rumors have been swirling lately that HP was planning to release a laptop running the Pop!_OS operating system. Today, System76's CEO Carl Richell shared on Twitter that this is absolutely happening -- a 14-inch developer-focused notebook called "Dev One." While this is good news for the Linux community overall, it is quite curious. After all, System76 doesn't just maintain the Pop!_OS operating system, it sells computers running the distribution too. In other words, HP and System76 are competitors in the hardware business.

So, what does this tell me? Well, it is purely speculation, but as the old adage says, "where there is smoke, there is fire." And so, it is safe to assume that HP acquiring System76 could be a possibility in the future -- if this new relationship pans out at least. HP could be testing the waters with the upcoming Dev One. Keep in mind, System76 does not even build its own laptops, so we could see the company leave the notebook business and focus on desktops only -- let HP handle the Pop!_OS laptops.

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MINISFORUM is a computer manufacturer that has been cranking out a lot of mini PCs lately. Its machines are looked upon favorably by many consumers that prefer diminutive desktops. Not only are its computers well-made and small, but often quite powerful too. These machines can be good servers, retro-gaming machines, office workstations, home theater PCs, and more.

Many MINISFORUM computers are powered by capable Intel processors, but lately, the company has been making mini PCs with AMD chips too. In fact, the company now has several AMD-powered options. Today, MINISFORUM announces an upcoming AMD desktop that is notable for using discrete graphics. Called "HX90G," the tiny Windows 11 PC is powered by an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU and RX 6650M GPU. Yeah, this diminutive computer is going to rock!

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Actively-cooled computer memory is nothing new. For many years, companies have offered add-on fans that clip onto your RAM sticks in an effort to reduce heat. Some computer-makers even sell machines with these fans installed from the factory.

Today, however, GeIL takes actively-cooled RAM to a whole new level. You see, its new "EVO V DDR5 RGB Hardcore Gaming Memory" (yes, that is the full product name) comes with little fans built into the heat spreaders! Apparently, these fans are powered by the RAM slot and no additional power source is needed. How friggin' sweet is that? And yes, as the product name implies, this RAM offers customizable RGB lighting too.

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Nobody really wants a Fire 7 tablet. Most consumers would prefer an iPad or proper Android device with Google Play support. So why are Amazon's tablets being purchased? Price. Yes, folks, Amazon's little tablet is very cheap, making it a fairly decent consumption device for young children and the elderly. Don't want to spend too much on grandma for her birthday? Get her a Fire 7 tablet. She will think it is an iPad even though it is just a cheap knock-off with dismal performance.

Today, Amazon once again refreshes the Fire 7, and despite sky-high inflation, the tablet remains inexpensive. You see, the 2022 variant of the 7-inch tablet can be had for just $59.99, making it pretty much a disposable device. At that price, if it gets broken, who even cares? If you are concerned about your child breaking it, you can opt for a special "Kids" model for $109.99 that comes with a rugged case and a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+.

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Everybody loves USB flash drives, so it's a good thing there's no shortage of them on the market. If you want a flash drive, you can absolutely find one in stores -- unlike baby formula. There are many makes and models of USB flash drives with various capacities and transfer speeds, but of course, not all of them are of good quality.

With all of that said, only one flash drive can truly be the coolest ever. Today, OWC launches a drive that could be the one. Called "Envoy Pro mini," it is a tiny portable SSD that offers both USB-C and USB-A connectivity. In other words, the high-quality drive will work with pretty much any computer. Best of all, the beautifully engineered USB drive looks to be built like a tank and offers very impressive performance of up to 946MB/s!

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TP-Link has become one of my favorite manufacturers of networking hardware. When someone asks my advice on a router, I often steer them towards TP-Link. Why? Because the company's products are both dependable and affordable. For instance, you can score a quality Wi-Fi 6 router for under $70.

I am also a fan of TP-Link's Kasa line of smart home products -- light bulbs, cameras, power outlet adapters, and more. So I was a bit confused earlier today when the company officially launched its new "Tapo" smart home brand in the USA. Why do Kasa and Tapo both need to exist? Would the latter replace the former? Well, I reached out to TP-Link for an explanation and the company replied with one.

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It's 2022 and the world's transition to USB-C should, in theory, be complete by now. The thing is, however, it simply isn't. Despite USB-C being superior to USB-A in every way, consumers haven't been keen on moving to the new connector. As more and more consumers and businesses hold onto older computers (that don't have USB-C) for longer periods of time, USB-A remains the dominant connector.

And so, a new card reader from Silicon Power that uses USB-A rather than USB-C totally makes sense. This new combo card reader from the company is compatible with both SD and microSD cards (not simultaneously), making it incredibly useful. The retractable USB-A connector allows it to be protected when not in use, meaning it should prove a good option for portability. And yes, it has a lanyard loop option.

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With cloud storage continuing to grow in popularity, USB flash drives have largely fallen out of favor with consumers. Maybe that's not such a bad thing, as USB flash drives are both easy to lose and are susceptible to failure -- the cloud is arguably more safe and secure. With that said, there should always be a need for local storage; sometimes you just can't trust certain documents, such as company secrets, to the cloud.

Understandably, it is hard to get excited about a new USB flash drive these days. However, a new USB-A offering from Silicon Power is actually quite interesting. Called "Blaze B07," it looks like a standard flash drive, but it has a really cool stand-out feature -- it is coated in an antibacterial substance in an effort to fight germs and sickness! This would be very beneficial in an office setting where a flash drive is passed around from person to person.

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