Brian Fagioli

Acer announced a bunch of new products today, including many Windows machines. While I am sure those computers running Microsoft's desktop operating system are fine, they don't really excite me. Instead, it is Acer's Linux-based Chromebooks that get my engine running. The company has been cranking out great Chrome OS laptops for many years, and they have proven to be a great value for consumers.

Today, Acer unveils a pair of new elegant Chromebooks. Called "714" and "715," the former has a 14-inch display while the latter is 15.6-inch. Both machines have fingerprint readers, aluminum bodies, 12-hour battery life, and can be configured with 8th generation Intel Core processors (Pentium and Celeron models will be available too). The larger 715 has something the 714 doesn't -- a number pad, which apparently is a first for any Chromebook. The 714 has slimmer bezels, however. Best of all, they are both designed to be rugged and withstand abuse.

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Many people are "cutting the cord" these days, opting for streaming television services rather than traditional cable or satellite. And no, it is not only about saving money. Sure, many folks were tired of the added fees that cable companies charge, such as to rent the cable box and remote -- it can feel like you are being robbed. But also, cable boxes often have poor user interfaces, lacking the modern and fluid experiences consumers expect nowadays thanks to operating systems like Android and iOS. Speaking of mobile, streaming TV services work while on the go, while many cable providers lag behind in that regard.

When I cut the cord, I went with YouTube TV. Why? Well, its channel offering was pretty good, and its price was only $34.99. It later went up to $39.99, however, but I kept the original price through grandfathering. Most importantly, its unlimited DVR put it ahead of the competitors. If you are a YouTube TV customer like me, I have good news and bad news. The good news is actually great news -- the service is adding several channels from Discovery, such as HGTV, Food Network, and Investigation Discovery to name a few. The bad news is sad, but not catastrophic -- YouTube TV is getting a big monthly price hike. And yes, this includes all customers -- no one gets a grandfathered price.

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Apple laptops are consistently great. Even with the polarizing keyboard found on recent models, you really can't go wrong with a MacBook. With that said, in order to buy an Apple computer, you have to have a lot of disposable income. You can get a Windows 10 machine with similar specifications for far less. There's nothing wrong with paying more for Apple hardware -- if it makes you happy and you can afford it, go for it.

If you do end up buying an expensive Apple MacBook, you should definitely consider opting for AppleCare. Insurance is always a bit of a gamble, and not always the wisest move financially, but it can be worth the premium for peace of mind. In addition to AppleCare, you may want to consider a protective case too. For example, today, Urban Armor Gear launches a rugged new case for the 2018 MacBook Air as part of its popular Plyo Series. Not only does it offer protection and improved cooling, but it looks rather attractive too.

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Game of Thrones is one of the greatest television series of all time. Hell, it is arguably the best. Not only is the acting, casting, and storytelling damn-near perfect, but it is visually stunning too. Back in the day, television shows had terrible special effects compared to films. After all, they had much lower budgets. That's why it is so remarkable, for example, to see such impressive imagery, such as realistic-looking dragons and massive cities, -- both of which are featured on Game of Thrones.

Sadly, all things end eventually, and Game of Thrones is no different. This year, the final season of the hit HBO show will air. To celebrate this significant moment in pop culture history, an official limited edition Game of Thrones Roku Ultra has been produced. Actually, there are six of them, and if you are lucky, you might be able to win one! Yes, Roku is doing a giveaway and entering is rather easy.

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With the Linux Mint development being severely strained, and the future of that particular operating system being in slight doubt, many Linux "haters" are seemingly taking pleasure. Hardcore fans of Microsoft Windows will point to the Mint situation as proof that Linux (and open source ideology overall) doesn't have a future on the desktop. Thankfully, these negative people couldn't be more wrong. Regardless of what happens with Mint, Linux still has a bright future -- not only on mobile and servers, but desktop too. Maybe that success will be Chrome OS or Android. Whatever. The point is, the open source Linux kernel cannot be stopped.

As people are concerned about Linux Mint, another distro has been gaining in popularity. While not new, the attention it gets has been growing lately. Called "MX Linux," it is based on the excellent Debian Stable and uses the lightweight Xfce desktop environment by default. If you are intrigued by this newly en vogue distro, I have good news -- a new version is available for download. While not a major release,the 18.2 ISO is chock full of changes, fixes, and of course, updated packages. If you hate systemd (as many do), I have good news -- it is not enabled by default (although it is included).

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AMD has shown that slow and steady can truly win the race. It lagged Intel for a while, but these days, AMD seems to be the true innovator and pusher of boundaries. Its Ryzen and Ryzen Threadripper processors aren't just powerful, but affordable too. AMD chips are often a great value.

Today, AMD unveils its latest enterprise-focused mobile processors -- second generation Ryzen PRO and Athlon PRO. These 12mm chips have Vega graphics and are ready to power new business-class laptops from companies such as Lenovo and HP.

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I've had the pleasure of working in several call centers in my lifetime. To be honest, I rather like customer service -- it is a great job to truly make a difference in someone's life. Look, sometimes when you call a company for help, the person on the other end of the line can be quite... unhelpful. And so, I enjoy "wowing" the customer with top-notch service.

There are many different types of call centers and work environments. Cubicles used to be all the rage, but nowadays, the "open office" concept is most fashionable. If you aren't familiar, it is all about taking down walls and opening up communication and collaboration. The problem? For those that work on a phone, this can lead to a noisier environment, causing the representative to struggle to hear.

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Nintendo is the king of the "Kart Racing" genre. While there are many imitators -- some of which are very good -- Mario Kart remains the best. And no, it is not just about mascots, although it does help having Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong and such. Actually, the real magic is the gameplay -- solid controls and well-designed levels. The Mario Kart franchise is consistently excellent.

The problem? Mario Kart costs money and, emulators aside, only works on Nintendo consoles. If you want to get your kart racing on, but you don't want to open your wallet, you are in luck! SuperTuxKart is an excellent clone of Nintendo's game, featuring popular open source mascots. Best of all, the open source game is not only cross-platform, but totally free! The upcoming SuperTuxKart 0.10 will even introduce network multiplayer play, and now that version has reached Release Candidate status. And yes, you can download and play SuperTuxKart 0.10 RC1 now!

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Cloud storage is great. Seriously, folks, storing important files online is a great way to protect them from disasters, such as theft, fire, or flooding to name a few. When people tell me they have their own "cloud" at home with an internet-connected NAS, I simply sigh. Yeah, that's cool, but you are still lacking offsite redundancy. Ideally, you should be using both an online cloud service, such as Dropbox, while also storing your files locally on an encrypted drive.

Of course, the cloud isn't a realistic option for all industries. Media creators, for instance, often need fast local storage with large capacities. Especially with 4K and 8K video editing, you are looking at enormous file sizes. Today, Promise Technology unveils an excellent storage solution for the media editors. Its new Pegasus32 Series offers connectivity for both Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.2 Gen 2 (aka USB 3.1 Gen 2). In other words, it is compatible with both standards (each uses USB-C). Believe it or not, its DisplayPort can push an 8K display at 60Hz!

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One of the most frustrating things for Windows users that switch to Linux is learning to install software. With Microsoft's operating system, you search the web for the software you want, download it, and install it. With Linux-based operating systems, however, programs are typically installed through a centralized app center or through the terminal. The Linux approach is arguably safer, as Windows users can easily be tricked into downloading malware. Windows 10 tries to emulate the centralized software center with the Microsoft Store, but users have largely rejected it.

Thanks to Canonical's wildly popular snaps (and other containerized packages, such as Flatpak), Linux users can more easily install software -- it should be more familiar to former Windows users. Snaps will work on most distributions too, meaning there is less work involved for software developers -- there is no need to create distro-dependent versions. Today, Microsoft furthers its commitment to Linux by releasing a snap version of  Visual Studio Code. No, the source-code editor is not the Windows-maker's first snap -- it also released one for Skype, for instance.

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USB-C friggin' rules, y'all. Everybody loves the new connector type, as unlike the classic USB-A, Type-C is reversible. Quite frankly, the ports and connectors even look better too -- symmetry for the win! Even if your computer doesn't have a USB-C port, you can always interface with a Type-C device using a dongle or USB-C to USB-A cable. In other words, you can buy a USB-C device today and use it without worry as long as your computer has a USB port.

Remember, folks, USB-C does not indicate speed -- it is merely a connector type. With that said, USB-C (and USB-A) devices that use the USB 3.1 gen 2 interface are very fast. Today, Lexar announces a very speedy external solid state drive that the company claims is the world's fastest portable USB SSD with a Type-C port. Obviously, this claim does not include Thunderbolt 3 drives. Called "SL100," it offers up to 950 MB/s read, and 900 MB/s write. Regardless of whether it is or isn't the world's fastest, one thing is for sure -- those speeds are very impressive.

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Ever since the release of the first-ever iPad in 2010, people have been trying to convert Apple's tablet into a laptop with add-on keyboards. You know what? It actually isn't too bad. True, lack of mouse/trackpad support in iOS can turn this makeshift laptop configuration into a frustrating experience, but in some situations, it is totally passable. If you are a writer, for instance, an iPad with a keyboard can remove distractions and focus your attention. If you do hardcore multitasking, however, a traditional laptop with Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, or Ubuntu is probably a wiser choice.

If you are OK with the limitations of iOS, and you still think an iPad or iPad Pro would be your ideal portable computer, than you should definitely check out Logitech keyboard cases. The company's iPad keyboard offerings have been consistently excellent and should last a long time. Now, Logitech is back again with a new keyboard case. Called "SLIM FOLIO PRO," it is designed for use with the third generation iPad Pro. And yes, both the 11- and 12.9-inch variants are supported -- there is a model for each.

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Fedora is the best overall Linux distribution. It's really not up for debate -- even the father of Linux, Linus Torvalds uses it. The focus of the operating system is truly free and open source software, making it one of the most pure experiences. And while there are many flavors to choose with various desktop environments, the default is GNOME -- the overall best DE. While Fedora maybe isn't the best distro for beginners, it should be the eventual choice for those that "level up" to being an experienced Linux user later.

Today, after a bit of a delay, Fedora 30 is finally available for download. Details are a bit sparse regarding new features, but we will add them as we know more. What we do know, however, is the Workstation variant (which is what most users care about) uses GNOME 3.32 -- the latest and greatest version of that desktop environment.

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I have been a bit critical of Linux Mint in the past, but the truth is, it is a great distribution that many people enjoy. While Mint is not my favorite desktop distro (that would be Fedora), I recognize its quality. Is it perfect? No, there is no such thing as a flawless Linux-based operating system.

Today should be happy times for the Linux Mint community, as we finally learn some new details about the upcoming version 19.2! It will be based on Ubuntu 18.04 and once again feature three desktop environments -- Xfce, Mate, and Cinnamon. We even found out the code name for Linux Mint 19.2 -- "Tina." And yet, it is hard to celebrate. Why? Because the developers seem to be depressed and defeated. They even appear to be a bit disenchanted with Free Software development overall.

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TP-Link has become one of my favorite manufacturers of networking gear. The company's products are fast, reliable, and affordable. I would not hesitate to recommend any of its hardware.

Today, the company launches its latest Mesh Wi-Fi System, and it is priced shockingly low. Called "Deco M4," it features three access points to blanket your home in wireless internet and can be easily configured with either an Android or iPhone app. And yes, it has optional Amazon Alexa support -- for those of you that love using voice assistants.

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