Brian Fagioli

Obesity is a huge problem in the USA and other parts of the world. Not only does being obese lead to sickness and death, but it causes healthcare costs to skyrocket, which harms everyone's bank account. Not to mention, being fat simply doesn't feel good -- carrying extras weight is uncomfortable and can lead to joint pain.

So yeah, since obesity is bad, many people try very hard to lose weight, but sadly, many fail. Why? Putting on the pounds is much easier than taking them off, and since progress can be slow, it is easy to lose motivation. Thankfully, technology is helping folks to stay motivated. No, wearable devices and fitness apps won't cause weight loss on their own, but they can assist when added to a healthy diet and exercise plan.

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There are too many Linux distributions these days. While it can be argued that having too much choice is never a bad thing, the truth is, having so many distros causes resources to be spread too thinly. There is a lot of redundancy and waste, and eventually, the chickens will come home to roost -- we will see Linux-based operating systems begin to drop like flies.

Linux Mint is alive for now, but infighting and feelings of defeat have many users worried about its future. Sadly, another Linux distribution, Scientific Linux, really has died. This operating system was based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), and maintained by some significant members of the scientific community, such as The Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and CERN. While current versions (6 and 7) will continue to be supported, future development has permanently ended, with the organizations instead turning to CentOS -- another distro based on RHEL.

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The original Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X are great video game consoles. Hell, they really aren't even just gaming machines, but full media devices, designed to be the focal point of your media consumption. They don't only play games, but movies, TV shows, music, and more. With the exception of the puzzling "All-Digital" variant, they all play Blu-ray discs too.

With all of that said, gaming is the primary function of any Xbox, and these days, that largely means playing multiplayer titles online. Don't get me wrong, offline play has its place, but it is far more fun to compete against other humans. One of the most fun aspects of online multiplayer is using a headset to speak with either teammates or opponents.

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Does RAM speed matter? Well, yes and no. Look, it is a good idea to get the fastest memory that your motherboard supports -- as long as you can afford it. The truth is, the performance benefits from slight increases in MHz often provides a negligible speed improvement. So if you are building a new gaming PC for instance, and you are on a budget, it probably isn't wise to allot too much money for what ends up being nothing more than bragging rights. Maybe focus more on the CPU and GPU instead.

But OK, let's say you are a PC enthusiast without a budget and you do want bragging rights. Well, HyperX has some new RAM that may excite you. Its popular Predator series is getting two new speeds -- 4266MHz and 4600MHz. They will only be sold in 16GB kits -- two sticks of 8GB.

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Rolling release operating systems are really cool, because they are constantly being updated. This can ensure that the user is kept up-to-date without effort. Why is that good? Well, vulnerabilities are patched quickly, while the latest and greatest features of popular programs are regularly introduced. Of course, there is a potential downside too -- it could introduce bugs that could lead to instability. Ultimately, the user must decide if a rolling release best meets their needs.

One of the best such operating systems is Netrunner Rolling. I love this Arch/Manjaro-based operating system for several reasons, but mostly for its elegant implementation of the KDE Plasma desktop environment. It is themed beautifully, providing a smooth user interface that is familiar to those switching from Windows. Not to mention, it comes pre-loaded with many excellent packages, making it a great "out of the box" Linux experience for newbies. Just in time for Easter, Netrunner Rolling 2019.04 becomes available for download -- the first ISO refresh since August of last year.

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Amazon Fire TV provides a really great media consumption experience. And yet, I do not use it. Why? Well, I am a huge YouTube user -- both the regular video service, plus YouTube TV, and unfortunately, Google kept those services off of Amazon's TV hardware. In a bit of "tit for tat," Amazon kept its own Prime Video from Google's Android TV and Chromecast devices. Ultimately, this hostility hurt consumers, which is very unfortunate.

Today, Google and Amazon finally bury the hatchet. YouTube apps are coming to Fire TV, while Prime Video is coming to both Android TV and Chromecast. Even Google's YouTube Kids app will be coming to Amazon's hardware!

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Christmas. Thanksgiving. Ubuntu release day. What do those three things have in common? They are days that cause many people to get excited. Back in the day, computer users would get excited about a new version of Windows too, such as Windows 95, XP, and 7 to name a few. Since Windows 8, however, Microsoft's new operating systems are hardly a reason for celebration. New versions of Ubuntu, the extremely popular Linux-based operating system, does pique the interest of many, including yours truly.

Today, Linux users around the world should celebrate, as Ubuntu 19.04 "Disco Dingo" is finally here! Following the Beta release, the stable version is now available for download. Keep in mind, version 19.04 is not LTS (Long Term Support), meaning it is only supported until January 2020.

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Distracted driving isn't just stupid, it is dangerous too. If you aren't paying attention, instead opting to look at your smartphone while in the driver's seat, you aren't only risking your life, but more importantly, the lives of countless other drivers sharing the road with you. Don't do it.

Thankfully, there have been huge improvements with hands free communication. Not to mention, thanks to virtual voice assistants, you can perform tasks without taking your eyes off the road too. The problem? Some people drive with their phone in their pocket, meaning the voice assistant can't hear its wake word, such as "Alexa" or "Hey, Google." This can also happen in loud environments, such as when music is playing or when kids are fighting in the backseat. A new product from Anker called "Roav Bolt" aims to improve the Google Assistant experience in the car.

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Download-only gaming for home consoles is certainly the future. It is definitely not the present, however. I can envision all next-generation game consoles being produced without any optical drive or card slot, but to do that with a current-gen system would be asinine. And so, Microsoft has done it.

Yes, the worst kept secret in the video game community is officially announced today. As the leaks suggested, Microsoft unveiled the "Xbox One S All-Digital Edition." What does "all-digital" mean? Well, apparently, the Windows-maker thought optical discs were analog, as this branding simply means the Blu-ray drive has been removed. Yeah, the name sort of makes no sense. In other words, Microsoft hopes you will be crazy enough to buy download-only games at the tail end of the Xbox One's life. You won't fall for that trickery, will you?

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Back in the day, people would have several remote controls in their living room, for things like TVs, DVD players, and stereos to name a few. It was messy and confusing, and quite frankly, caused arguments in households. Remotes were constantly misplaced, and some non-savvy family members would often get frustrated by never knowing which remote to use.

The universal remote solved that dilemma, but it caused yet another -- even though there was just one remote, there were too many buttons. Sitting down and watching TV or a DVD should be a mindless affair, where you don't need to look at the remote -- muscle memory should be able to get you through. Today, Logitech aims to revolutionize the world of media consumption with the Harmony Express -- a remote that is compact, has minimal buttons, and best of all, has Alexa built in! Logitech claims it is compatible with over 250,000 devices too.

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My everyday smartphone is an iPhone 8 Plus. It's a phenomenal device -- it has a big display, insanely long battery life, a great camera, wireless charging, and Touch ID -- not Apple's finicky face unlock nonsense found on its newer phones. Best of all, it uses the very secure iOS operating system. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Android -- quite the opposite. What I don't like, however, is not getting timely OS updates. That is what ultimately drove me from Google's mobile operating system to Apple's.

There is one new Android smartphone that is so exceptional, however, that I am tempted to leave iOS for it. That phone is the Huawei P30 Pro. This device is drop-dead gorgeous and full of top specifications. While Apple is largely known as the king of cameras, the P30 Pro's photo capabilities are supposedly on another level. If I was to buy the P30 Pro (or even the non-Pro P30), I would want to protect my investment with a rugged case. Thankfully, well-respected case-maker Urban Armor Gear has launched its popular Plasma Series case for both the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro!

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Apple is one of the most privacy-focused tech companies. It has consistently protected its users, going so far as to defy the US Government by refusing to unlock an iPhone for the FBI. Conversely, Google makes a lot of its money from advertising and tracking users, while Microsoft has extreme telemetry in Windows 10.

And that's why it is so surprising that Mozilla -- another privacy-focused organization -- is criticizing Apple. You see, the Firefox-maker is calling out Apple for allowing advertisers to track iPhone users. Mozilla is going so far as to launch a petition, hoping to get Apple to change an important iPhone default setting.

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Tonight is finally the night! After two years, Game of Thrones finally returns to the airwaves. Unfortunately, the Season 8 premier excitement is bittersweet, as it is the final season. Sadly, there are only six episodes remaining in the series. With that said it will be rewarding to finally find out who becomes the ruler of the world. My money is on Theon Greyjoy to end up sitting on the Iron Throne, but I digress.

Believe it or not, in the USA, you can watch the Game of Thrones Season 8 premier for free. How? Simply sign up for a seven-day trial of the HBO Now streaming service -- just cancel before the trial ends to avoid being charged. That isn't the only free thing that Game of Thrones fans can get today. You see, Sony has launched a really cool PlayStation 4 theme to celebrate tonight's premier.

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While many people are turning to the cloud for storage these days, not everyone trusts such a thing. After all, when you upload your files to an online server, you are essentially storing your stuff on someone else's computer. If you prefer complete control over your data, local storage devices are superior.

What if you want to leverage a USB flash drive, but you need better performance? In that case, a product such as the rugged Pocket SSD from VisionTek should meet your needs. These popular devices look like a standard flash drive, but they are much faster. Today, VisionTek launches the next generation -- the XT Pocket SSD. Not only is the top capacity now a massive 1TB, but the drive should last longer too. You see, VisionTek claims special data refresh technology will allow it to last more than 171 years before failing. In other words, it will outlive you!

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Creative's Pebble speakers are very popular with budget-focused shoppers. Over on Amazon, it has 4.5 stars with over 500 reviews. It's not hard to see why that is -- for a mere $25, you get a respectable 2.0 audio experience from a well-known brand. No, they aren't audiophile quality, but at this price, you should know that. They should be better than your laptop's built in speakers, however. One of the coolest aspects of the Pebble speakers is they are USB-powered -- you don't need an AC adapter when connecting them to your computer. You do need to simultaneously connect a 3.5mm audio cable, however, as audio is not transmitted over USB -- only power.

One of the big drawbacks to Pebble is a lack of bass. This really shouldn't be surprising, as they are small 2-inch speakers, and they don't have a subwoofer. Well, Creative heard the user feedback loud and clear and decided to bring a little boom to its budget offering. Called "Pebble Plus," it is the same stereo speakers, but now with a small subwoofer added. Amazingly, the price is barely higher than the non-plus variant. Seriously, folks, the price will shock you.

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