Brian Fagioli

Remember the Apple AirPower? If not, that is totally understandable. After all, the product never actually saw release. Please know, it was Apple's planned Qi wireless charging mat that could charge multiple devices at once. For whatever reason, the iPhone-maker canceled the product before it reached the public, saying it was not up to Apple's quality standards.

Impressively, popular accessory-maker Satechi has managed to do what Apple couldn't. You see, today, Satechi releases the Trio Wireless Charging Pad, which is capable of charging your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods at the same time. This is with a single USB-C cable. Wow. Of course, since it uses the Qi wireless charging standard, it can charge non-Apple devices too, such as an Android phone.

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Well, folks, with 2020, the Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) revolution is truly here. At this point, no one should be buying an 802.11ac router, After all, you can score a nice Wi-Fi 6 router for under $100. Of course, for many larger homes, a single router simply isn't enough. Instead, mesh systems are all the rage these days. If you aren't familiar, mesh is when two or more access points are used together for a single network. Basically, it should give you better Wi-Fi range without needing to mess around with extenders other other clunky add-ons.

Today, ARRIS unveils its latest mesh system, and it uses the aforementioned Wi-Fi 6. The AX6600 Mesh SURFboard mAX System is tri-band and features up to 5500 square feet of Wi-Fi coverage. It features a Quad-core ARM-A7 Cortex processor and has optional Amazon Alexa support. Each access point features two Gigabit Ethernet ports -- one wan and one wan/lan. This means the unit that connects to the modem will only be able to connect to one other hardwired device, but the second unit can connect to two.

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When you think of portable storage, SanDisk is a name that likely comes to mind. The brand (now owned by Western Digital) has long been producing quality memory cards and flash drives. Personally, when choosing an SD card for my camera, I always go with SanDisk. Sure, there are less expensive options, but I know from experience, when it comes to storing important family photos, you should never go cheap. SanDisk cards offer great performance, but more importantly, they are extremely reliable.

And now, at CES 2020, Western Digital is, of course, highlighting products from its SanDisk brand. There are two new offerings that are very impressive. One is just a prototype (for now), but it is certainly the more exciting of the pair -- an 8TB portable USB 3.1 gen 2 SSD. That's big capacity from such a small drive. Even smaller, however, is the Ultra Dual Drive Luxe USB 3.1 Gen 1 flash drive. This drive comes in capacities ranging from 32GB to a massive 1TB. It offers dual connectivity -- USB-A and USB-C.

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AMD is most well known for its desktop processors, but the company does make mobile chips too. In fact, some of the best budget Windows 10 laptops are powered by AMD mobile processors. The company’s laptop chips are gaining more respect these days; case in point, Microsoft is finally selling an AMD-powered Surface.

Today, AMD unveils its latest mobile processors, and Intel should be very worried. These 4000 series chips should provide impressive multi-core performance. Road warriors in particular should appreciate the long battery life provided by the 15W variants. In addition to the new 4000 series processors, AMD is also announcing two new low-end Athlon 3000 chips for budget machines.

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Google's Chrome OS has revolutionized desktop computing by stripping away the nonsense and allowing the user to focus on the task at hand. There is no clunky update system like Windows, nor is there the need for anti-malware software. Chromebooks just work, and they are very secure too. Best of all, they are often super affordable -- unlike Apple's overpriced MacBooks. While many folks can get by with web apps, the operating system also runs both Android apps and traditional desktop programs. If you haven't tried a Chromebook in a while, you will be surprised by just how great they are these days.

Today, Samsung announces a new premium Chrome OS convertible laptop that oozes elegance. The Galaxy Chromebook, as it is called, is just 9.9mm thin and features an aluminum chassis in either Fiesta Red or Mercury Gray colors. It has a built-in active stylus, 4K AMOLED display, and is powered by an Intel Core processor. It can even be configured with up to 16GB of RAM! It has the latest-and-greatest Wi-Fi 6 for connectivity plus two USB-C ports too. It even has a fingerprint reader -- a rarity for Chrome OS devices.

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There are many excellent open source software projects these days, such as the Linux kernel, GIMP, and LibreOffice to name a few. But what about games? Yes, there are open source games, one of which is SuperTuxKart. If you aren't familiar, STK is essentially an open source Mario Kart game clone. While it is very popular with Linux users, it is also available for Windows and macOS.

Today, SuperTuxKart reaches version 1.1. While it features bug fixes and other improvements, the real star of the update is the addition of a new arena called "Pumpkin Park."

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Many people love Apple's AirPods, but others think the wireless ear buds are crap. Well, now you can prove them right, if so inclined, as the company will gladly emblazon your AirPods case with the poop emoji engraved onto the front. In fact, there are several emojis from which to choose, such as a unicorn, smiling face, or a chicken.

Best of all, this service is entirely free -- when buying new AirPods, of course. In other words, those that already own Apple's wireless ear buds are out of luck.

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Dell's XPS 13 is a legendary laptop, not just with Windows users, but hardcore Linux fans too. You see, through the company's Project Sputnik program, Dell has long provided special "Developer Edition" variants of its laptops that come pre-loaded with Ubuntu. Operating system aside, the XPS 13 has been highly lauded for its build quality, attention to detail, and top specifications. Ultimately, you buy an XPS 13 and always know you are getting a quality laptop.

Today, Dell announces the newest XPS 13 Developer Edition and it looks incredible. This 10th generation computer (which is being dubbed "2020") is thinner and smaller while offering even better specifications, such as an improved 13.4-inch display (with 16:10 aspect ratio) and the ability to be configured with up to 32GB -- double the previous generation's maximum memory. There are no USB-A ports, sadly, but it does have two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a micro SD card reader. You get thinner bezels and a larger trackpad too. Believe it or not, Dell is even promising proper fingerprint reader support in a future software update, meaning you can finally secure Ubuntu with biometrics!

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Long gone are the days where Apple was the sole manufacturer of elegant laptops. Quite frankly, Apple has become a bit stagnant with its designs. Truth be told, makers of Windows laptops (such as Samsung, HP, and Huawei) have met or exceeded Apple's MacBook looks. Best of all, these Windows notebooks are often much more affordable than Apple's offerings too. Not to mention, they typically have touch screens!

Today, Samsung unveils a new Windows 10 laptop that isn't just elegant, but affordable too. Starting at well below $1,000, the Galaxy Book Flex α (Alpha) features a useful 2-in-1 design that should be beneficial for both work and play. It has a beautiful 13.3-inch QLED FHD display, long battery life, a fingerprint reader, a USB-C port. and a 10th gen Intel Core processor.

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There is absolutely nothing wrong with loving technology. If you are delighted and excited by computers, smartphones, and other devices, that is perfectly normal. Heck, I am guilty of this myself -- my desktop computer is one of my most prized possessions. After all, I built it piece by piece -- it is almost like my child. Almost...

Let's be honest though -- computers are just things that can be replaced. OK, true, maybe the data on the machine is irreplaceable, but even then, your life is worth more than anything stored on the computer’s drive. And that is why I am heartbroken today. You see, I stumbled across an article from CBS San Francisco about an adult man that died tragically -- trying to recover his laptop from thieves.

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With cloud storage gaining in popularity, flash drives have fallen out of favor with many consumers. Maybe that's not such a bad thing, as USB flash drives are easy to lose and are susceptible to failure -- the cloud is arguably more safe and secure. With that said, there will always be a need for local storage, as sometimes you can't trust, say, company secrets, to the cloud. Hell, I used a USB flash drive for an operating system installation just yesterday -- they absolutely still have value.

It is hard to get excited about USB flash drives though, right? I mean, aren't they all the same? Actually, no! They can vary on things like build quality and performance. That's why the new Transcend JetFlash 910 USB flash drive piqued my interest. Not only are both read and write speeds very impressive, but the build quality looks great too -- it features an elegant aluminum body.

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Linux Mint is a great operating system, but with the most recent version (19.3 "Tricia"), there was some shocking news -- GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) was being removed! Crazy, right? I mean, of all of the great software available for Linux, GIMP is one of the best. It is an essential image editing tool that rivals Adobe Photoshop.

So, why did Linux Mint remove it as a pre-installed program? The developers thought the software was too advanced for newer Linux users. While I think that is a bit of nonsense, I can understand why the Mint developers would want to cater to beginners. Thankfully, it is totally easy to install GIMP on a new Linux Mint 19.3 installation.

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With 2019 almost over, we turn our sights to a new decade with 2020. Soon we will celebrate the new year by partying, eating good food, and watching the Times Square Ball drop on TV. Sadly, Dick Clark is dead, but his legacy lives on through Ryan Seacrest.

But what if you want to celebrate 2020 in a more... nerdier way? Well, I have some good news. Calculate Linux 20 is now available for download! Yes, the Gentoo-based operating system is ready to be installed on your computer. Since it is version 20, that makes it perfect for ringing in 2020.

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Well, folks, Christmas 2019 is now in the rear view mirror. Hopefully you and your family had a wonderful holiday. Following Christmas, there is one big important tradition -- Amazon's bragging! Yes, every year, the online retailer loves to brag about its successful holiday shopping sales. They are always the best ever, of course, and this year, things are no different.

Yup, Amazon is claiming that it had record-breaking sales during the 2019 holiday shopping season. While the company doesn't share actual sales numbers, I actually don't doubt its claims. This year, when I went to brick-and-mortar stores on Black Friday (and the days after), the stores were clearly experiencing a huge drop in foot traffic. In other words, Amazon has seemingly continued its trend of cannibalizing traditional retailers, but this year, it seemed much more dramatic. Hell, I ended up doing 90 percent of my own Christmas shopping on Amazon and I don't even have Prime!

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Santa Claus is absolutely real; he lives in the hearts and minds of all true believers of Christmas. Is it possible for one man to deliver gifts to every house in the world in one night? Under normal circumstances no, but Santa Claus is magic -- you must throw all logic and science out the window.

Need proof that Santa Claus is real? Every year, Google provides a way to track the jolly fat man as he makes his journey around the world. Yes, Google's official Santa Tracker is an annual tradition, and in 2019, it continues. As usual, the search giant delivers activities beyond mere tracking, such as an interactive Santa Village. This year, there is a holiday-themed bedtime story for kids called "Ollie Under the Sea." There is even a very cool augmented reality Santa Claus you can summon by searching for "Santa Search" on mobile and clicking the "3D" button.

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