Brian Fagioli

Microsoft has a lot of successes, but also, the company has countless failures. With that said, failing in a business venture isn't entirely a bad thing -- it means you at least tried something. A company like Microsoft needs to take risks, but damn, sometimes it just feels like the company flushes cash down the toilet.

Case in point, back in 2016, Microsoft bought a game-streaming service (a Twitch clone) called "Beam." In 2017, the Windows-maker renamed that service to what it is known as today -- "Mixer." The company even paid millions of dollars to popular video game players to get them to stream elusively on the service. Hell, it was less than a year ago that Microsoft signed popular player  "Ninja" for more than $20 million! And now, in 2020, Microsoft has killed Mixer, essentially burning many millions of dollars. Yup, the company announces that it will shutter Mixer on July 22 and then move all of its users to the Facebook Gaming platform.

Continue reading →

Summer is here, but sadly, so too is COVID-19. True, much of the country is starting to "open up," but still, it is probably a good idea to limit your exposure to the public. Don't let that get you down, however, as there is plenty of summer fun to be had at home. If you have a yard, for instance, you can sunbathe and read books while laying on the grass. If you are lucky enough to own a pool, you can swim from the safety of your own property. Apartment dwellers can get in on the action too -- if you have a bathtub, you can sit in it and use your imagination to be transported to a tropical island (in your mind, at least).

Of course, just because it is the summer season, you don't have to do summery things. In fact, if you just want to sit on the couch with your smartphone and play games, watch movies, or listen to music, that is cool too. But what if your current smartphone stinks? Maybe it is slow, has bad battery life, or a cracked screen. If that is you, but you can't afford a new phone, don't worry -- we at BetaNews have five smartphones to give away! Best of all, it is a great smartphone -- the TCL 10 Pro. It has a beautiful screen with HDR support that is just perfect for watching Netflix!

Continue reading →

Today at WWDC 2020, Apple confirmed the rumors -- the company is ditching Intel processors for future Mac computers. While there are technically still some future Intel-powered Macs in the pipeline, Apple intends to eventually switch to its own in-house chips exclusively. The company expects it will take two years for the transition to complete. The last time Mac made such a switch, it was PowerPC to Intel.

Obviously, these ARM-based chips will not be able to run current versions of macOS, so Apple has also announced the next version of the OS that will be compatible. Called "Big Sur," this upcoming version of macOS will also be able to run legacy third-party x86_64 programs through its Rosetta compatibility layer. All Apple programs will be designed for the ARM chips directly.

Continue reading →

I’m a huge fan of AMD desktop processors and GPUs, but the company’s mobile chips? Not so much. Don’t get me wrong, there have been some decent AMD-powered laptops over the years, but historically, Intel processors have been the best for notebooks.

Until recently, that is. AMD’s new mobile Ryzen 4000 processors have received universal acclaim thanks to impressive performance and long battery life. The new Ryzen mobile chips are a legit alternative to Intel.

Continue reading →

VPNs can be wonderful for protecting a user's privacy, but they are not infallible. For instance, while they can hide your activity from your ISP or an unsecured Wi-Fi network, the VPN company can potentially see everything you do. With that said, you'd better be very smart about selecting a VPN provider. Rule number one: Never trust a "free" VPN or one that offers a pay-once "lifetime" subscription, as you simply can't trust their business models to protect your privacy. Instead, splurge a bit and go with a reputable company that requires periodic payments and promises not to keep any logs. Do your homework, folks.

Mozilla is a company that I trust more than some others (I trust no person or company 100 percent, however!) thanks to its respectable data privacy principles. That is why I surf the web with Firefox whenever I can. That company has been beta-testing a VPN service of its own called "Firefox Private Network VPN". Yeah, that name stinks as it is too wordy. Thankfully, the company has wisely decided to rename it to the much cleaner "Mozilla VPN." In addition, we learn how much the VPN service will eventually cost -- $4.99 a month.

Continue reading →

We recently told you that Synology is selling its own solid state drives -- a surprising move. Today, another company is getting into a new market, and it is also quite unexpected. You see, Lexar is now manufacturing its own-branded DRAM (computer RAM). Seriously? Yup!

The company is offering both laptop and desktop memory, but none of it seems very impressive. Don't get me wrong, I am sure the RAM is fine, but it is nothing an enthusiast would get excited about. All of the memory is DDR4 2666 with a CAS latency of 19, which is passable, but nowhere near the fastest. There are no fancy heat-spreaders or RGB lighting either. With all of that said, pricing starts below $20. Ultimately, Lexar seems to be making basic memory that is affordable. And yes, there is absolutely a place for that.

Continue reading →

Both Intel and AMD make great processors, but for the most part, Intel has long been the market leader for enthusiasts. When building a gaming PC, consumers have historically chosen Intel for its superior performance in games -- particularly when multi-core doesn't matter. In 2020, however, things have changed. Many enthusiasts and gamers are turning to AMD for its excellent Ryzen and Ryzen Threadripper chips. Not only does AMD rule multi-core computing, but in many gaming benchmarks, it is on par with Intel nowadays. And so, now is the time for AMD to shine and for Intel to take a step back.

AMD seems unwilling to rest on its laurels, however, as today it launches a trio of new Ryzen 3000XT processors which have higher boost frequencies. These Zen 2-based 7nm processors are AMD's first desktop CPUs to to carry the "XT" branding. This is significant, as "XT" is typically reserved for AMD's Radeon graphics cards. It seems like AMD really wants PC gamers to consider these processors for their next build. Ultimately, it looks like Ryzen 3000XT is AMD's way of slam dunking on the competition. In other words, AMD is giving Intel the Frédéric Weis treatment...

Continue reading →

The solid state drive market is evolving very fast lately. Not only do we now have an M.2 drive with a huge 8TB storage capacity, but PCIe 4.0-capable motherboards are becoming more prevalent. Why is PCIe 4.0 so important? Bandwidth, baby. Compared to PCIe 3.0, the new 4.0 has double the bandwidth. From a storage perspective, this means PCIe 4.0 solid state drives will provide insanely fast speeds.

Today, Silicon Power unveils an all-new SSD that uses PCIe 4.0. Called "US70," the company promises some impressive performance. For instance, read speeds can reach 5,000 MB/s, while write can go up to 4,400 MB/s.

Continue reading →

For a while, Wi-Fi 6 (aka 802.11ax) was the future of wireless connectivity, but now, it is the present. Yes, with more and more devices having Wi-Fi 6, it is time to finally buy a compatible router now. If you already have a Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) router that you love, you probably don't need to run out and upgrade immediately. However, if you find yourself needing a new wireless router, it would be foolish not to go with 802.11ax -- there is no downside.

Today, Linksys unveils its latest wireless router, and it is very affordable. Called "MR7350," it supports Wi-Fi 6 and has a USB-A port on the rear for connecting a USB storage device. In other words, the MR7350 can pull double-duty as a makeshift NAS. Best of all, it has mesh support baked in, so you can set up a mesh network using other compatible Linksys products.

Continue reading →

More than a decade ago, we learned Microsoft Money was being canceled. At the time, I worked in banking and many of my clients were upset about it. Believe it or not, many people really depended on Microsoft's financial organization software. It was truly beloved. Why the company canceled it I don't know for sure, but I'd guess the Windows-maker saw the writing on the wall -- the future of money management was mobile apps and web-based account aggregation services, such as Mint.com. Financial software that you install to a PC's storage disk, such as Microsoft Money, was on borrowed time.

Fast forward to 2020, and today, Microsoft announces a new way to manage your money using a PC -- Money in Excel. Sadly, this is not the rebirth of Microsoft Money, but instead, a plugin/template for Excel that allows you to easily import your financial information. This is not really a Microsoft service, either. The Windows-maker has tapped Plaid.com to perform the actual aggregation. Once imported, you can then track your spending, including viewing graphical charts to better understand both where your money is and where it is going.

Continue reading →

If you are a homeowner in 2020, you should have an outdoor smart security camera -- it simply isn't up for debate. Not only are they more affordable than ever, but they are very simple to set up. Many models don't even requires cables or a hub, allowing you to mount it anywhere within your Wi-Fi's range. You can then monitor the outside of your home to detect potential burglars or just keep an eye on your children playing in the yard. There really is no excuse to not have one.

Today, Arlo unveils its latest outdoor smart security camera and it is shockingly affordable. Called "Essential," the 1080p camera is powered by a rechargeable battery and doesn't require a hub, so you can place it anywhere without having to deal with running cables for power. It even has color night-vision and two-way audio. Not to mention, it is sleek and attractive, so it won't look ugly hanging off the side of your house.

Continue reading →

Back in March, we told you about the upcoming Linux Mint 20. Code-named "Ulyana," it was a very controversial announcement as the developers decided to cancel the 32-bit version. After that bombshell, the devs further shocked the world by revealing their intention to remove Snapd starting with version 20 of the operating system. Don't forget, all of this follows the unpopular decision by the developers to pull both GIMP and VLC from Mint too.

And now, the BETA of Linux Mint 20 is officially here. The pre-release operating system comes with Linux kernel 5.4 and is based on Ubuntu 20.04. Linux Mint 20 even has official support until the year 2025! Best of all, you can choose among three desktop environments -- Cinnamon (4.6), MATE (1.24), and Xfce (4.14). What really has the developers hot and bothered, however, is a new program called "Warpinator."

Continue reading →

Synology makes some great network-attached storage (NAS) enclosures. Whether for home or business, its devices can be filled with storage disks to set up collaborative file-sharing over a network. Synology's offerings are fast and dependable, making them smart choices for consumers. There's a reason so many people trust the brand.

The company's NAS products can work with any brand of storage disk, but still, Synology has decided to begin selling its own solid state drives for some reason. Yeah, it is kind of odd to see drives with Synology branding, but here we are. I suppose the company saw a money-making opportunity, so who can blame it for trying to increase profits. The company isn't just offering 2.5-inch SATA SSDs either, but M.2 PCIe-based drives too. Nice.

Continue reading →

Xbox Series X isn’t ugly. In fact, it looks rather cool. The problem, however, is the design of Microsoft’s upcoming video game console is tragically boring. It is literally a rectangular cuboid, showing very little effort was put into the design. Does the appearance of a console even matter? Actually, yes. Look, it is probably going into a living room or bedroom, so it will have a big impact on the room’s overall style.

Earlier today, Sony finally unveiled the upcoming PlayStation 5, and holy moly, it looks so much prettier than the Xbox Series X. The design is futuristic and iconic. Microsoft should be very worried that consumers will be turned off by the very conservative design of the Xbox Series X.

Continue reading →

The year 2020 undoubtedly belongs to AMD. After trailing Intel for years in some areas, the company has finally leapfrogged the Pentium-maker. Between its Ryzen and Ryzen Threadripper processors, AMD owns the enthusiast desktop market. And that's not all -- the company's Ryzen 4000 Series Mobile Processors are impressing on laptops too. Hell, Linus Torvalds, the father of Linux, is now using a computer powered by AMD's Ryzen Threadripper 3970X.

Linux computer maker/seller System76 has been offering AMD processors in its Thelio desktop computers, but believe it or not, the company has never offered an AMD-powered laptop -- until now, that is. You see, starting today, you can buy a "Serval WS" powered by AMD. No, System76 is not offering mobile Ryzen chips in this laptop, but instead, desktop-class processors! As you can expect, this 15-inch portable Linux workstation is quite chunky and heavy as a result. With that said, it is simply impossible to cram this much power into a thin and light notebook.

Continue reading →