Brian Fagioli

With the exception of extremely low-cost budget models, all modern computers (laptops and desktops) should have Thunderbolt 3 these days. Why? Because TB3 is simply amazing -- it uses the USB-C connector, but is much faster than USB 3.1 Gen 2.

With Thunderbolt 3 being so fast, many consumers -- including yours truly -- have been waiting for external PCIe NVMe TB3 drives to begin hitting the mainstream. I am happy to say I have been testing one from VisionTek with my 2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, and as you can imagine, it is super quick.

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While many people are familiar with popular Linux distributions like Ubuntu, Fedora, and Mint, there are far more open source operating systems available. There are probably too many, but I digress. Please know, just because a distro isn't very well known, doesn’t mean it's bad.

One such quality Linux distro that isn't super popular is Mageia. It is a fork of the once wildly popular Mandriva operating system. Today, Mageia 6.1 becomes available for download. It features LTS Linux kernel 4.14 and updated Nvidia drivers.

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The Nintendo Switch is much less powerful than both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. However, that being said, Nintendo’s offering is arguably the best of the three. Why? Well, it serves double duty as both a home and portable console. Not to mention, it has Nintendo exclusive games, featuring iconic characters like Mario and Link from Zelda. Let’s be honest, Nintendo’s own games are top shelf.

Today, Nintendo announces a special Fortnite edition of the Switch. No, the hardware is not different. The "Fortnite -- Double Helix Bundle," as it is called, simply features some exclusive content and bonus in-game currency. For fans of the wildly popular Fortnite game, this is sure to be quite enticing.

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Traditional cable TV providers should be very worried. These days, it is easier than ever to cut the cord. Thanks to streaming media, a small box, dongle, or stick can deliver high-quality movies, TV, and music over the internet. Using myself as an example, I leverage YouTube TV, Apple Music, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix for all of media needs. The local TV provider no longer gets my money -- except as my ISP, that is.

Believe it or not, 4K content is becoming more and more common, and lately, 4K streaming devices have become very affordable. Last month, for instance, Roku unveiled new 4K devices starting at just $39.99 -- $10 more if you want the voice remote. Not wanting to be left out, today, Amazon unveils the Fire TV Stick 4K and it looks like an insane value. Not only does it come with an all-new Alexa Voice Remote, but it features Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and HDR10+ too -- all at a rock-bottom price.

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For tech savvy consumers, buying a wireless router or adapter is a fairly simple affair. For the majority of shoppers, however, it can be very confusing. Let’s be honest, it is impossible to know that 802.11ac is better than, say, 802.11n without first researching it. I mean, hell, how is the average consumer supposed to know what the letter designation following the 802.11 really means? It is simply nerdy jargon.

Apparently the Wi-Fi Alliance wants to make it easier to decipher. Starting with the 802.11ax, numbers will be used instead. For instance, ax will be Wi-Fi 6, while n and ac will retroactively be called Wi-Fi 4 and Wi-Fi 5 respectively.

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Gaming is a huge business these days, and no, I am not just talking about PC and consoles. Believe it or not, many people are playing legit games -- such as Fortnite -- on mobile devices too. Regardless of platform, there is one common theme -- online gaming. Yes, these days, gaming online is probably more popular than playing with one's self offline. And so, having a quality Wi-Fi router is a must.

Today, popular company Razer announces its own router (designed with Design Labs, maker of the "Portal Mesh Wi-Fi Router") and it is sexy as hell. Called "Sila," it leverages an impressive nine internal antennas. The design is basic -- a rectangle, more or less -- but there is beauty and elegance in its simplicity. It will look great in a teen's bedroom next to an Xbox, for instance, but also, it will fit perfectly in a family living room.

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If you want a Windows 10 laptop, you can do much better than Microsoft's buggy Surface devices. Companies such as Dell, Lenovo, and HP make some excellent notebooks these days. I mean, look, Microsoft's homegrown computers aren't totally bad, but they are a bit overpriced and historically have had terrible bugs and driver issues. For a while, the much-respected Consumer Reports refused to recommend the computers -- something on which they've recently done a "180."

Today, with surprisingly little fanfare in New York City, Microsoft unveiled some new Surface devices, including the Surface Pro 6 -- a tablet with a floppy keyboard that needs to die already. The true star of the Surface line these days is the unimaginatively named Surface Laptop -- a surprisingly decent computer. Microsoft has upgraded the laptop's internals, given it a new color (black), and put the number 2 at the end of its name. Unfortunately, Surface Laptop 2 is a tragically boring upgrade -- very slight evolution instead of revolution.

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Android smartphones are largely all the same these days. I mean, look, they are rectangular slabs that can run apps, surf the web, and take photos. Sure, specifications can vary, but for the most part, all modern Android phones are powerful enough to all run apps wonderfully. With that said, why would you spend a fortune on one? If you can score a solid smartphone without breaking the bank, you totally should!

If you want an elegant and inexpensive Android phone, look no further than Honor. That is Huawei's budget-friendly brand, but you know what? Low cost does not mean low quality. Today, the company officially launches the Honor 8X -- a drop-dead gorgeous Android smartphone with very respectable internals and a huge 6.5 inch display. Much like the iPhone Xs, you can unlock the device with your face, but unlike Apple's offering, it also has a fingerprint reader -- nice! Believe it or not, the Honor 8X even has a 3.5mm audio jack -- crazy, right? I guess Honor isn't as courageous as Apple! And yes, it has a notch, because... why notch?

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For a while, it was hard to find a decent Thunderbolt 3 docking station. Oh, there were plenty of USB-C docks, but believe me, other than sharing a connector type, they are nowhere near as good as TB3 variants. From my experience, USB-C models can be a bit problematic -- especially with macOS.

Nowadays, however, there are many Thunderbolt 3 docks on the market. Today, Accell -- a company known for selling quality products at affordable prices -- launches a TB3 dock that looks quite beautiful and futuristic. Rather than being a simple rectangle, it slopes downward on the front. This is not just for looks -- it is designed to prop up the laptop for better viewing and typing angles.

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Just yesterday, we shared with you the official Ubuntu Linux 18.10 Cosmic Cuttlefish wallpaper. And yeah, while it looks cool, it's not as exciting as, say, a Beta release of the upcoming operating system. Today, that is exactly what we get.

If you like to run pre-release Linux-based operating systems for fun -- which I do -- you can download the ISO immediately. With Ubuntu, these late-stage Beta releases are usually very stable. After all, the final version will drop next month. So while you should install it at your own risk, I would say you are probably safe with it.

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Twice a year, a new version of Ubuntu is released -- in April and October. We are currently in September, meaning a new release is just around the corner. As per normal naming guidelines (YY.MM), it will be version 18.10. In addition to a number, Canonical assigns a fun name too -- based on an animal, alphabetically, preceded by a word that starts with the same letter. In this case, Ubuntu 18.04 is using the letter "C." What is it called? Cosmic Cuttlefish.

The name and version number is only part of the tradition, however, In addition, Canonical releases a special wallpaper based on the name. The animal is often a line drawing with the background using the classic Ubuntu magenta/orange gradient color. Today, on Twitter, Canonical unveils the official Cosmic Cuttlefish wallpaper.

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When you buy a System76 computer today, you aren't buying a machine manufactured by the company. Instead, the company works with other makers to obtain laptops, which it then loads with a Linux-based operating system -- Ubuntu or its own Pop!_OS. There's nothing really wrong with this practice, but still, System76 wants to do better. The company is currently working to manufacture its own computers ("handcrafted") right here in the USA! By doing this, System76 controls the entire customer experience -- software, service, and hardware.

Today, the company announces that the fruits of its labor --  an "open-source computer" -- will be available to pre-order in October. Now, keep in mind, this does not mean the desktop will be available next month. Hell, it may not even be sold in 2018. With that said, pre-ordering will essentially allow you to reserve your spot. To celebrate the upcoming computer, System76 is launching a clever animated video marketing campaign.

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Microsoft makes many good decisions, but unfortunately, it pulls a lot of boners too. I mean, Windows 8... need I say more? I do? oh, OK. Bob, Kin, Windows Phone -- you get the idea.

One area where Microsoft does a lot of good is with Xbox. Quite frankly, it is very impressive that the Windows-maker is so successful in the gaming market. Granted, Sony is doing much better with PlayStation 4, but I digress. Unfortunately, Microsoft is making a huge mistake with a recent announcement -- mouse and keyboard support for Xbox One.

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Thanks to Apple's courageous (kidding!) act of removing the 3.5mm headphone jack from the iPhone, more and more consumers are opting for Bluetooth headphones these days. True, unlike wired variants, they do need to be charged, but their convenience can make up for this deficiency. Exercisers and other active folks can workout more comfortably, without fear of getting wires stuck on equipment -- dangerous for the wearer and any device to which the headphones are attached.

The problem? Many Bluetooth headphones are trash. Amazon is littered with cheap no-name offerings that are of low-quality which should be avoided. Instead, consumers would be wise to invest in quality Bluetooth headphones from a reputable manufacturer. Today, one such quality company -- Jaybird -- announces its latest product. Called "Tarah," these Bluetooth Wireless Sport Headphones are surprisingly affordable at less than $100.

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If you are going to use Linux on the desktop, you might as well use Fedora. Why? Well, it is a pure open source experience. I mean, why switch from Windows to a distro that isn't entirely focused on FOSS? You should go all in! Not to mention, it uses very modern packages while retaining stability. Oh, and it uses the best overall desktop environment, GNOME, by default. It's no wonder the father of Linux, Linus Torvalds, uses it.

The next version of the operating system is Fedora 29, and today, it achieves Beta status. It features updated packages, improved support for Raspberry Pi, and more.

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