Brian Fagioli

Development of Mageia 8 seems to be progressing nicely, which is good news for fans of the Linux-based operating system. Last month, we shared that the first Alpha of the distribution was available for testing, and now today, the first Beta arrives.

As with the Alpha, the Beta is available with your choice of three desktop environments --  KDE Plasma, GNOME, and Xfce. All three are available in 64-bit Live ISO images, but the 32-bit variant of the operating system is limited to Xfce only. This makes sense, as 32-bit-only computers in 2020 are quite ancient and under-powered, while Xfce is the most lightweight DE of the bunch.

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Apple's Mac Pro (2019) desktop computer is beautiful, elegant, powerful... and very expensive. For the Apple faithful, overpaying for hardware is par for the course. After all, if you love macOS, you don't really have much of a choice beyond building a Hackintosh. But even some of the biggest Mac fans balked at the $700 asking price for the Apple Mac Pro Wheels Kit -- a set of four wheels to make the desktop more portable in an office setting. Seriously, folks, the company charges $175 per wheel!

Thankfully, popular Apple-focused third-party seller OWC has decided to roll out (pun intended) a more affordable set of wheels. Called "Rover Pro," it is currently just $199. That is only $50 per wheel, which is much more reasonable. Best of all, unlike the Apple Mac Pro Wheels Kit which requires a special flexible screwdriver (that you must buy separately), OWC's offering utilizes a toolless design.

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There is a lot of negativity in the world these days such as the COVID-19 pandemic, record unemployment, and the massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. Sometimes it can feel like positive news doesn't exist anymore. The truth is, good news is always happening, but it isn't always reported.

Well, today we are happy to report a feel-good story. Popular company Viewsonic, known for manufacturing high-quality computer displays, is donating 300 Raspberry Pi thin clients to the Los Angeles County Alliance for Boys and Girls Clubs. These little computers are a great tool for teaching kids about Linux.

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For a while, it felt like tablets were the future of computing. Hell, Microsoft almost destroyed Windows entirely by wrongly transforming it into a tablet-first operating system with Windows 8. As we learned over time, however, laptops and desktops were not going anywhere. Microsoft thankfully righted the ship (mostly) with Windows 10. While iPad remains a popular device, Android tablets have largely dried up. Long gone are the good ol' days when Nexus 7 reigned supreme. Now, quality Android tablets are few and far between.

Thankfully, Samsung has not yet abandoned the Android tablet market. Today, in addition to new Note20 smartphones, the company revealed two new tablets -- Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+. The former has an 11-inch (2560 x 1600 120Hz LCD) screen, while the latter has a 12.4-inch (2800 x 1752 SuperAMOLED 120Hz) display.

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When it comes to racing games, there are generally two types of gamers -- those that like realism and those that just enjoy having a good time. I fall into the latter category, preferring games like Mario Kart instead of Gran Turismo. After all, I own an actual car and driving it isn't too fun. I'd much rather shoot turtle shells at opponents, but I digress.

If you prefer simulation racing games, I have some really great news. Today, Logitech announces the Logitech G923 TRUEFORCE Sim Racing Wheel and Pedals for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. What makes the leather-wrapped G923 so special is its "TRUEFORCE" technology, which is an enhanced force-feedback system. Logitech promises it will provide a very realistic experience when playing games like Gran Turismo Sport and Grid. It even has a nifty Rev Indicator, which uses LED lights to let you track your RPMs right on the wheel. Very cool.

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When all of your devices are Apple, you can live quite happily knowing that everything works well together. When I owned a MacBook Pro, for instance, it was wonderful to get my text messages and phone calls on my laptop -- I didn't need to run and find my iPhone. The same goes for iPad -- I can get my iPhone calls and texts on the Apple tablet too. When my friends and family are nearby, and they use iPhone, I can easily share things with them using AirDrop.

If you aren't familiar, AirDrop uses a mixture of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to allow you to wirelessly share things like files, photos, URLs, and more with other nearby Apple devices -- no need for an internet connection. This isn't just helpful for sharing with others, but with yourself too. When you want to transfer photos from your iPhone to your Mac, for example, you can use AirDrop instead of a USB to lightning cable. Many have wanted Google to copy AirDrop, and now, the search giant has thankfully done exactly that. Called "Nearby Share," it is coming to both Android devices and Chromebooks.

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The future of computing is ARM, not x86. Apple is once again a trailblazer, as it is eventually transitioning all of its Mac computers to its own ARM-based "Apple Silicon," ditching Intel entirely. True, Microsoft is also using ARM a bit with Windows, but that company's indecisive behaviors and previous failure with Windows RT has left consumers a bit nervous. Apple was correct to just pull off the band-aid and dive right into the ARM waters.

Well, mostly. Apple has a two-year plan to move Mac to ARM entirely, but in the interim, it will still sell Intel-based machines. In fact, today, Apple updates its popular 27-inch iMac, but it still uses old-school x86_64 Intel processors and not the new Apple Silicon. With that said, the 27-inch iMac can now be configured with a 10-core processor for the first time, and solid state drives are now standard -- you can even opt for an 8TB SSD. The webcam has been bumped up to 1080p, which is great for those working from home. It even gets the T2 Security Chip and improved speakers.

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Podcasts have been steadily gaining in popularity over the last several years, but thanks to COVID-19, it feels like interest has exploded recently. After all, people are stuck indoors -- whether unemployed or working from home -- and listening to a podcast is a great way to pass the time. Don't forget, Spotify recently paid Joe Rogan $100 million to get his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, on its platform exclusively.

Pandora may not be the most popular platform for listening to podcasts, but some people do, in fact, use it for that purpose. If you are one of those people, I have great news -- you can now start and listen to your favorite podcasts on Pandora using Amazon Alexa.

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If you are a hardcore Android fan, you should buy a Pixel. Google’s phones may not always have the best specs, but they do offer the purest experience. They are the only way to truly experience Android as Google intends it, including timely OS updates. They are free of bloat, unlocked, and often very affordable. Best of all, they offer a remarkable photography experience.

Today, Google officially announces the highly anticipated Pixel 4a. It isn’t a flagship device, but with a $349 price, the Android 10 smartphone is an amazing value -- as long as you don’t care about 5G.

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If it feels like HyperX releases a lot of gaming headsets, that's because it does. Yeah, Kingston's gaming brand seems to like having a large offering of headsets for some reason. While that can be confusing for some consumers, ultimately, having choice and a diverse product line is a good thing. It ensures there are models for all budgets and needs.

Today, HyperX launches the Cloud Core Gaming Headset + 7.1. As the name implies, it offers virtual 7.1 surround sound. The wired headset looks to be attractive and comfortable too. It even comes with a USB breakout box with controls. Best of all, it is very much affordable at less than $70.

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Around the world, many consumers are cutting cable, opting instead for online TV streaming services such as YouTube TV, Sling TV, and Hulu+Live TV to name a few. Another streaming TV service, Philo, isn't the most comprehensive option, but it is one of the cheapest at just $20 monthly for more than 50 channels.

Today, Philo gets a new feature that subscribers should absolutely love -- Chromecast support. Called "Philo Connect," subscribers can now choose to "cast" what they are watching on an Android device to their TV via a Chromecast dongle (or television with integrated Chromecast).

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Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people were dubious that new Apple smartphones would hit stores this September like they often do. Then, more recently, there were several rumors that new iPhone 12 devices (which should have 5G compatibility) wouldn't hit stores until October.

Earlier today on a conference call, Apple CFO Luca Maestri confirmed these reports, saying "As you know, last year we started selling new iPhones in late September. This year, we project supply to be available a few weeks later." Many technology news websites were quick to say that Apple iPhone 12 was "delayed." Actually, that isn't true at all.

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Star Wars sucks. There, I said it. Other than A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, the films are all horrible nonsense. Many current fans of the franchise are older men simply clinging to nostalgia. It's sad that Disney takes advantage of them, cranking out terrible new films and TV shows while selling them plastic tchotchkes. For the love of God, people, please stop buying figurines and make-believe laser swords.

If for some reason you are still a fan of the Star Wars franchise, I have some good news. You know that TV show The Mandalorian on Disney+? Remember that Baby Yoda puppet thing that fanboys went gaga over? Well, you can soon have Baby Yoda ears for you 3rd gen Amazon Echo Dot. Yeah, it is an Echo Dot holder with friggin' Baby Yoda ears jutting out from the sides. It is just for decoration, and it adds no features to the device.

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Biometrics have been a game-changer for consumer security. Not only can you unlock computers, tablets, and smartphones with facial recognition and fingerprints, but also, your finger can be used to decrypt encrypted storage devices. Are biometrics infallible? No. But still, the convenience makes consumers less likely to develop bad habits like having no password or pin at all on their devices! Never let perfect get in the way of better, folks.

Today, Google announces that it is integrating WebAuthn biometrics into its Chrome browser for Android. If you choose to store your credit and/or debit cards in the browser for easy checkout while shopping, you can now use your face or fingerprint rather than having to enter the CVC code from the card. In addition, Google is adding touch-to-fill, allowing you to easily fill in your information with one hand.

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Whenever I call Microsoft an open source champion or leader, the Linux fanboys come out in droves to tell me I am wrong. Unfortunately for them, I am extremely correct on the subject. Look, I get it, Microsoft was hostile towards both the open source and Linux communities years ago, but things change. The Windows-maker contributes to countless open source projects while also providing Linux programs, such as Procman. It is time for the open source and Linux communities to soften their stance on the company -- Microsoft is not your enemy!

Today, Microsoft proves once again that it is a friend of the open source community. You see, the storied company has become a Corporate Gold member of the Blender Development Fund. What does that mean? Essentially, Microsoft has handed over some of its money to help the development of popular open source program Blender -- free software for 3D creators.

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