Brian Fagioli

Linux Mint is a pretty good Linux distribution. Many people love it because of the Cinnamon desktop environment. Hell, despite having other DE versions -- such as Mate -- the Linux Mint operating system sort of exists only because of Cinnamon. I mean, look -- Mint is based on Ubuntu, so if you want to use Mate or Xfce environments, for instance, why not just run Ubuntu Mate or Xubuntu?

The thing is, Cinnamon is available to any distro that wants to use it -- it is not only a Linux Mint affair. Since the Mint team both maintains and popularized Cinnamon, however, it will be forever thought of as a Mint DE -- right or wrong. And that is why today's announcement is so puzzling -- Cinnamon 3.8 is now available (yay!), but no Linux Mint users can try it (boo!).

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Earlier today, LG revealed its latest Android flagship smartphone. It is called the "G7 ThinQ" and oh wow, it looks damn nice! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised -- LG has long made impressive smartphones. With the exception of the fairly terrible LG G5, both its "G" and "V" series have been consistently great.

This new G7 ThinQ has something that may annoy you, however -- a notch. Yeah, all the manufacturers seem to be copying the iPhone X in this regard. It's a very polarizing topic -- some folks like a notch, while others hate it. Me? I don't really care either way, to be honest. LG has taken a cool approach to handling the notch on the G7 ThinQ, however. You see, using software trickery, you can make the notch disappear -- sort of. The top of the screen gets filled in with black, so it appears there is no notch. Some may call this gimmicky. I call it clever. And it is.

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While many companies seem to focus on a race to the bottom these days, offering low-cost and low-quality devices, Huawei has taken a much different approach. You see, Huawei makes extremely elegant tech products that are also affordable. If you buy one of its tablets, laptops, or smartphones, you will be in for a treat. They are well-designed and won't break the bank. Quite frankly, you can tell the company truly cares about what it produces -- Huawei wants its customers to be delighted, and it succeeds.

The Huawei Mate 10 Pro is a favorite of mine. I have been testing the Android smartphone recently and I am very impressed by the build quality, performance, and exceptional camera. With Mother's Day soon approaching, it's definitely a device you should consider buying for your mom. If she has been wanting a new smartphone, the Mate 10 Pro will make her very happy. If you can't afford a new smartphone for your mother this year, do not worry -- we here at BetaNews are giving one away!

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These days, thanks to smartphones and tablets, consumers are quite adept at typing on glass. Believe it or not, this was not an easy transition. Many early smartphones had physical keyboards, making typing a better experience. Ultimately, screen real estate won out, and consumers preferred all-screen devices, such as the iPhone.

Unfortunately, while typing on a touch screen smartphone is very doable, it isn't exactly a comfortable or productive affair. When possible, most people would probably prefer to use a larger physical keyboard. Battery-powered Bluetooth keyboards make this possible, and one model in particular -- the Logitech Keys-To-Go -- is extremely portable, making it easy to throw in a bag. Today, Logitech unveils three new color options for this popular product.

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Yesterday was all about Windows 10. Microsoft released its latest major version, called "April 2018 Update," and it is actually quite good -- for Windows, that is. Linux users won't likely care about that, however, as today there is an arguably more important operating system release -- Fedora 28. Yes, following an official Beta release, the distribution of choice for Linus Torvalds -- the father of Linux -- becomes available today.

Fedora 28 has many new features, but one in particular will surely excite desktop/workstation users -- GNOME 3.28, which introduces Thunderbolt 3 support and improved laptop battery life. Fedora has long used GNOME as the default desktop environment, and best of all, it is mostly a stock affair -- no silly tweaks enabled by default. In other words, you get a very pure GNOME experience, making Fedora Workstation the preferred OS for many hardcore fans of the DE.

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If you have ever experienced spotty or weak Wi-Fi coverage in your home, you know just how frustrating it can be. Look, like it or not, we all crave to be connected to the internet at all times these days. When we can't connect, it can feel like pure misery (first-world problems, I know). Yeah, you can buy range extenders or run Ethernet cable, but that can be a pain in the butt.

Thankfully, mesh networking is here to save the day. If you aren't familiar, this is is where several access points are used simultaneously to blanket a home in Wi-Fi. Then, your devices will seamlessly connect to the closest/strongest access point automatically -- you don't have to manually select them when moving about. Linksys has its own such solution called "Velop," and today, it announces a new lower-cost dual-band variant which joins its existing tri-band offering.

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Thanks to 4K video recording, movie files are getting much larger. I recently bought an iPhone 8 Plus 64GB and was excited to use the 4K60 functionality. While it worked well, I very quickly ran out of available storage, making it an overall poor experience. While 4K is great, 64GB of storage just won't cut it.

Samsung has finally seen the light, and today, it announces that it will be selling both the Galaxy S9 and S9+ with 128GB and 256GB storage options. This will make 4K video recording a much better experience. Video aside, it will also allow more apps, music, games, and other file types. Best of all, micro SD expandability remains.

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In the USA, there are four major cell service providers -- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint. Of that group, two are considered by some to be low-quality -- Sprint and T-Mobile. While that is absolutely true of the former, the latter is actually very good, offering affordability, solid coverage, and fast speeds. I swear by it these days.

It has often been rumored that T-Mobile and Sprint were discussing mergers, potentially forming a company that won't just compete with Verizon and AT&T, but potentially leapfrog them -- especially with the impending roll-out of 5G. Today, the rumors become reality, as T-Mobile and Sprint are officially merging in an all-stock transaction -- pooling resources to establish a stronger overall company. The name Sprint will be dropped entirely -- a smart move as it is the weaker brand.

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The MacBook Pro is proving to be quite disastrous for many folks, with a too-delicate keyboard being a common complaint. It seems that dust can get under the keys, causing them to malfunction -- a frustrating experience to say the least. Yours truly has been dealing with a defective display -- a costly and annoying failure.

One of the biggest complaints about the MacBook Pro, however, is a lack of ports. Apple went all-in on ThunderBolt 3/USB-C, leaving no traditional USB Type-A ports, video out, or card reader. Luckily, this is easily remedied by purchasing dongles and docks. Today, Satechi launches a new USB-C "Pro" Hub for the newest MacBook Pro laptops -- both 13 and 15-inch. Not only does it add two USB Type-A ports, but Ethernet, HDMI, and a micro SD card reader too. And yes, it offers pass-through power delivery.

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Gaming hardware and accessories often feature very over-the-top designs, making them look like futuristic alien technology. While this is cool for some folks, others prefer more basic products with more conservative designs.

Today, Razer launches the Abyssus Essential optical gaming mouse which features a classic design. Razer calls the mouse "no-frills" and this is quite correct -- because of its ambidextrous design, there are no side buttons.

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Windows 10 is a great operating system, but its app store? Not so much. Don't get me wrong, the Microsoft Store is a serviceable solution, but it is deficient in many ways. Most notably, there is a lack of quality apps, as many developers haven't truly embraced the store. The apps that are there, however, are often fakes/imitations and low quality. If Microsoft wants to legitimize its app store, it needs to score some major software.

I was in attendance at Build 2017 when Microsoft announced an impressive score -- iTunes was coming to the store. Believe it or not, that announcement elicited a gasp from the Build crowd. True, Apple's media program is in dire need of a UI refresh, and it is quite bloated, but many people still use it daily -- especially for Apple Music. Unfortunately, the promised iTunes never came to the Microsoft Store -- until today. Yes, damn near a year after the announcement, iTunes is finally in the store. Better late than never, I suppose.

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Ubuntu is one of the most popular desktop Linux distributions -- if not the most popular. While it may not be everyone's favorite operating system, it is largely responsible for making Linux accessible for average consumers. It is fairly easy to install, simple to use, and has a convenient application center. Ultimately, it is a pleasure to use for both beginners and experts alike.

Today, following an extensive beta period, the latest version of Ubuntu -- version 18.04 -- becomes available for download. Code-named "Bionic Beaver," it features GNOME 3.28 -- the best desktop environment -- rather than the now-abandoned (and much-maligned) Unity. As per usual, there are other DEs too, such as KDE, Xfce, and MATE. The kernel is based on Linux 4.15 and LibreOffice 6.0 is included by default. Best of all, Bionic Beaver is LTS (Long Term Support), meaning it gets an impressive five years of support.

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These days, 4K televisions and monitors are becoming much more common. Operating systems support them well, and there is a lot of available UHD content -- including on Netflix and YouTube. Not to mention, prices have dropped dramatically -- these 4K monitors are finally achievable by the average consumer.

Philips has announced an all-new 4K display called "Momentum" (model 436M6VBPAB) that is downright breathtaking. First of all, it is huge -- a massive 43 inches. Size aside, it has Quantum Dot technology, an insane 1,000 nits max brightness, 10-bit color, and most impressive of all, it is HDR1000 certified.

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Apple's iPad tablets are beautifully designed, but let's be honest -- they are not durable. If you drop it, there is a very good chance the screen could shatter. Even if the display is unhurt, it could become dented or scratched, which can really destroy the resale value. Money aside, it can be depressing to use a device with cosmetic blemishes. Look, you spent good money on your iPad, right? Well, you should protect it.

The best way to do this is with a rugged case. This way, if you do drop your precious iPad, it should hopefully survive unscathed. One manufacturer that produces reliable cases is Urban Armor Gear. Today, that company announces the "Plasma" case for both the regular iPad (9.7-inch, 5th and 6th generation) and iPad Pro (12.9 and 10.5-inch). Not only is it very rugged, but it looks quite beautiful too. Apple Pencil users should love the integrated holder.

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Samsung solid state drives are the gold standard of storage. True, there are other brands that sell quality SSDs, but Samsung's offerings are not only blazing-fast, but very reliable too. If you can afford it, you shouldn't consider any other brand.

Today, Samsung announces its most impressive solid state drives yet -- the 970 PRO and 970 EVO, both of which are M.2 PCIe NVMe variants. The PRO model features capacities up to 1TB, while the EVO goes up to 2TB.

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