Brian Fagioli

Because of the recently released AMD "ZEN 3" Ryzen 5000 processors, many people are building new PCs lately. Both gamers and enthusiasts are opting for these new AMD CPUs. Not to mention, in just a couple days, the all-new Radeon RX 6000 Series graphics cards will hit stores too. It is a very exciting time to be a system-builder -- especially if you are an AMD fan.

Many of these PC builders will be buying new RAM, and HyperX (Kingston's gaming division) is one popular brand that will surely be considered. Today, HyperX unveils new FURY DDR4 RGB memory kits that are quite exciting. Why? Because these sticks are single-rank 16Gbit variants.

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Well, folks, Thunderbolt 4 is no longer the future -- it is the present. What does this mean? It is time for manufacturers to start flooding the market with TB4 docking stations! Make no mistake, Thunderbolt 4-enabled computers should work fine with existing Thunderbolt 3 hardware, including docks. With that said, if you get yourself a TB4 computer, and you don't already have a TB3 dock, you should absolutely try and buy a TB4 dock.

Today, Kensington unveils its first such product. Called "SD5700T," it is a Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station with 90W power delivery. For video, it can output dual 4K or single 8K. It is loaded to the gills with useful ports, such as USB-A, Gigabit Ethernet, and USB-C/Thunderbolt 4. But also, it features an SD card reader and a beautiful aluminum chassis. This should be a great way to transform a new TB4 laptop into a proper desktop computer.

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Google's Pixel line of smartphones provides the purest Android experience, but for whatever reason, they aren't huge sellers. For many consumers, it is Samsung or nothing, and that is totally understandable -- that company does make good phones. If you prefer regular and timely Android updates, however, you pretty much have to go with a Pixel.

We are now halfway through November, and Christmas shopping is in full swing. Many people will be buying new smartphones for loved ones -- or themselves. And if you want a Pixel, you have a very hard decision -- do you opt for the Pixel 5 or Pixel 4a 5G? Both are 5G smartphones, yes, but they are not the same.

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All Linux users are the same, right? No way, José! Linux users are a diverse bunch, with differing opinions, tastes, and personalities. In fact, that is probably a contributing factor to the fragmentation of the Linux community. Linux users have lots of options between distributions, desktop environments, and more -- they are not stuck in a box like Windows 10 users.

To highlight how different Linux users can be, Canonical has released some data about the installation of Snaps, categorized by distro. It chose six of the most popular Linux-based operating systems for its analysis -- Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, CentOS, Arch Linux, and Manjaro. It then shared the top five most popular snaps for each distribution in 2020.

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It is November 12 and macOS 11 Big Sur is officially released today -- yes, sir, indeed. Why does the date matter? Well, I suppose it doesn't in the grand scheme of things, but still, it is rather surprising that Apple didn't release it yesterday, when the date was 11/11. Boy, that was missed opportunity, eh? Oh well.

But yeah, if you are a Mac owner, you can finally install the latest version of the macOS operating system. This is most notable for being the first version of macOS that will run on Apple's new M1-powered Mac computers. And yes, Big Sur on these new Macs can run both iOS and iPadOS apps too.

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Christmas is fast approaching, and AMD recently released new processors, making this a prime time for people to start building PCs for themselves or for others as gifts. This means people will be searching for components like SSDs, RAM, Power Supply Units, and more.

Of course, all of these things must be housed in a case, and while it is largely superficial (it can impact cooling, however), a chassis is still a very important part of any build. Nowadays people seem to like small computers, but I still prefer full-ATX so I can get a motherboard with plenty of expandability. Thankfully, there are compact PC cases that will accommodate a full-ATX board.

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There have been many great Linux distro updates lately, such as Ubuntu and Fedora. Today, yet another great operating system gets updated to a new version, this time it is MX Linux 19.3. The Debian-based distribution offers a choice between Xfce 4.14 and KDE Plasma 5.15 for the desktop environment and comes with MESA 18.3.6.

MX Linux 19.3 comes loaded with some great software, such as GIMP 2.10.12, Firefox 82, VLC 3.0.11, Clementine 1.3.1, and Thunderbird 68.12.0. The reliable LibreOffice 6.1.5 is installed by default, but you can easily update to version 7.x from a repository.

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ARM is the future of computing -- there's a reason Microsoft keeps trying to switch Windows to the new architecture. Unfortunately, Windows on ARM has not been a success, as consumers have largely rejected Microsoft's attempts. I have a Surface RT tablet that I keep in a drawer which serves as a constant reminder of what could have been.

Apple is in the midst of this switch with Mac, but it looks to have a huge success on its hands. Why? Because the iPhone-maker developed its own chips rather than just work with partners. More importantly, Apple has a very precise plan on transitioning, and consumers seem to be on board.

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There are so many docks and docking stations nowadays, that it can be hard to get excited about them. Look, I get it, they all pretty much do the same thing -- turn your laptop into a desktop while also charging it. The thing is, not all of them are created equally. In fact, some are much better than others.

With all of that said, Plugable has a new vertical docking station that is absolutely worth your attention. Called "TBT3-UDZ," it is compatible with both Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C computers thanks to its use of Intel's Titan Ridge chipset. I am happy to say it has both an SD card reader and microSD card reader on the front -- something often omitted from docks nowadays. Thankfully, the host port is on the rear, so there is no ugly wire hanging off the front. And yes, it offers 100W power delivery.

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The current trend for laptops is to have them be as thin as possible. I suppose we have Apple to thank for that -- its designers often focus on form over function. As a result, many computers are missing useful ports, such as Ethernet, HDMI, and USB-A. This causes consumers to spend extra money on USB-C docks, adapters, and dongles. Thin machines often have deficient cooling too, which can lead to throttling and an overall negative impact to performance.

And that's why I love the design of System76's newly refreshed Galago Pro -- one of the company's most popular Linux laptops. The affordable Galago Pro isn't thick by any means, but it's really no thicker than it needs to be. You see, the chassis can accommodate the ports that many depend on, such as the aforementioned Ethernet, HDMI, and USB-A.

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Solid state drives continue to get faster, with PCIe 4.0 variants leading the pack nowadays. Of course, most PCs don't have PCIe 4.0 support, so these ultra-fast drives are reserved for enthusiasts and those with brand new computers.

If you have such a cutting-edge PC, you will probably want to get a PCIe 4.0 SSD to maximize your performance. True, it is largely for bragging rights and benchmarks -- you probably won't notice a difference in actual use -- but still, you might as well go for the best if the difference in price isn't totally obscene.

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It was damn near a year ago when we told you about the Western Digital WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD. This drive was very fast thanks to its PCIe 3.0 interface. In fact, the drive could achieve an impressive 2,400 MB/s read. It was a no-nonsense SSD that provided excellent performance at a competitive price. For instance, the 1TB model can be had here for under $100.

Unfortunately, that 1TB variant was the top capacity, with the other two being 250GB and 500GB. What if you needed more than a terabyte of storage? Thankfully, starting today, the WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD now comes in 2TB -- double the previous top capacity.

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Literally nothing in life is worse than when your device runs out of juice and you are nowhere near an outlet. OK, maybe I am exaggerating -- there definitely are worse things. With that said, it does stink when it happens. It can feel like you are without oxygen when you are disconnected from the internet, for instance. Not to mention, when it comes to smartphones, a dead battery can prevent you from calling 911 in an emergency.

That's why I always travel with a USB power bank when possible. These devices can keep your phone, tablet, or other devices topped off when you are not near an outlet. A power bank is also essential during a power outage. People that live in hurricane zones, for instance, should definitely own one.

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Nowadays, many laptops utilize solid state drives, with capacities often ranging from 250GB to 1TB. For many consumers, that is more than enough for all of their files, and if it isn't, they can always purchase an external drive to easily expand it. USB SSDs in particular are very popular, as they are small and have no moving parts.

Today, ADATA launches an all-new external solid state drive, and it is quite special. Called "SE770G," the USB-C SSD stands out from the crowd with RGB lighting. The drive functions as any other USB-C SSD does, but it also has customizable lighting. Is that feature necessary or important? No, not at all. However, it is certainly fun, and it makes the SE770G very pretty. In fact, it might just be the most attractive USB SSD I have ever seen.

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Linux Mint is a great Ubuntu-based operating system, although there have been concerns about the project's financing and the morale of the developers. Over time, the small development team made some wise decisions, such as killing the KDE variant of the operating system. I think they should kill the Mate and Xfce versions and focus strictly on Cinnamon, but I digress.

Sadly, the team seems ready to make another poor decision, foolishly wasting its limited resources on an IPTV player for some reason. Called "Hypnotix," no one was asking for such a thing from the Mint Team, and it isn't clear why they are bothering. While only a "prototype" (aka Alpha) application for now, the developers are considering making it a part of Linux Mint. But why?

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