Brian Fagioli

I used to exclusively be a home console gamer -- I preferred playing games on a TV screen as opposed to a tiny handheld display. Heck, I even grew up during the GameBoy era but never got one. The NES was a better option for me, as portability was not a need at the time. Truth be told, I didn't get into mobile gaming until I got my first Android phone. Since then, I play all of my games on a smartphone or tablet. Sadly, platformer games are my favorite genre and virtual d-pads are a poor experience. I have always dreamed of an Android device with dedicated gaming buttons.

In July, the NVIDIA Shield was released. However, it serves as a dedicated gaming handheld -- it cannot realistically replace a tablet. It didn't make financial sense to buy both a tablet and the NVIDIA handheld. Today, Archos announces a new Android-based, 7-inch tablet that also serves as a gaming machine, called the GamePad 2 (the successor to the GamePad 1). In other words, it combines the functionality of a Nexus 7, with the gaming controls of the NVIDIA Shield. Amazingly, the company is releasing the product in Q4 of 2013, for the low price of $199.

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Folks are increasingly using Twitter while watching their favorite TV shows. A couple of days ago, Nielsen announced that viewers were becoming more engaged with television as a result. However, I argued that this could potentially distract users from both the programming and advertising. Today, Twitter and Comcast announce a partnership that looks to bring users to the TV with the power of tweets, rather than pull them away, with a feature called See It.

"It's a simple, but exciting tool that helps people more easily watch the shows they read about or discover online. See It lets people tune-in or record their favorite shows -- directly from the conversations happening on Twitter. In a typical week, #thevoice generates more than 350,000,000 Twitter impressions. What’s missing is how to seamlessly move from that conversation to consumption. And that's where See It comes in", says Sam Schwartz, chief business development officer at Comcast.

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When it comes to pointing devices, I prefer mice. Try as I might, a touchpad just cannot match the precision of a mouse. However, even people who prefer touchpads for basic computer use will likely prefer a mouse for one thing -- gaming. Yes, a good gaming mouse can be the difference between fragging your opponent and being fragged.

However, finding the right gaming mouse can be problematic. After all, not only are there many different makes and models of mice but there are also many different sizes of human hands (not to mention, right-handed vs left-handed). When I first saw the Logitech G602 I was intimidated. Quite frankly, an 11-button mouse could scare away even the most hardcore-gamers. Nonetheless, intrigue outweighed intimidation and I ultimately obtained the beast.

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Red Hat has been very busy lately. It was only a week ago that the company updated the previous version of its Enterprise Linux, 5.10. Today, rather than look backward, the company is looking forward and announces Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5 beta.

"We are pleased to announce the beta release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5. To keep pace with the demand for enterprise-class infrastructure, the newest version of the leading Linux platform extends its scalability and manageability to aid in the build-out and control of large, complex IT environments. For example, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5 will be designed to simplify the operation of mission-critical SAP applications by automating the optimal configuration of common SAP deployments", says the company.

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When it comes to fire, you can never be too safe. Sadly, I know all too well. You see, I once lived through a fire that destroyed my apartment and all of my belongings. While it was a devastating event, I came out of it uninjured and with a new respect for fire safety.

Today, Nest announces a new product that combines technology with not only fire safety but carbon monoxide protection too.

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When I can get a good deal, I take it. Given the opportunity, I always try to leverage sites like Groupon and Livingsocial to save money on dinners, entertainment and even Christmas shopping. However, managing and remembering the deals you buy can be problematic. I have had Groupon deals expire before I have the chance to use them. Luckily, Microsoft has people like me in mind and announces the new Bing Offers Card-Linked program.

In a blog post that reads as if it's been translated from a foreign language, Microsoft says: "Since we launched the program [Bing Offers] we have been committed to exploring ways to make as easy as possible for you to find and redeem great offer. You told us to that one thing you didn't like having to pre-purchase deals that they might forget or not use due to inflexible redemption options. Also people didn't like the added hassle of having to print up coupons or display QR codes to redeem savings".

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Whenever I watch TV, my tablet is with me. I am often tweeting, instant messaging and playing games while "watching" TV. Because I am so distracted, I must use the term "watching" loosely and apparently, I am not alone. You see, tweeting while watching television is so prevalent, that Nielsen and Twitter teamed-up to establish a social TV rating last year.

At the time, Twitter said "as the experience of TV viewing continues to evolve, our TV partners have consistently asked for one common benchmark from which to measure the engagement of their programming. This new metric is intended to answer that request, and to act as a complement and companion to the Nielsen TV rating". Today, almost a year later, the results of the agreement have come to fruition.

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When it comes to modern smartphones, it is easy to feel underwhelmed. After all, they are mostly just rectangular touch-friendly slabs at this point. Lately, the only "innovation" is to simply make them bigger (a bit too big in my opinion). Luckily, innovation is not dead, as LG announces the world's first flexible OLED display panel for smartphones. In other words, smartphones may soon be more than rectangular slabs.

"LG Display is launching a new era of flexible displays for smartphones with its industry-leading technology...the flexible display market is expected to grow quickly as this technology is expected to expand further into diverse applications including automotive displays, tablets and wearable devices. Our goal is to take an early lead in the flexible display market by introducing new products with enhanced performance and differentiated designs next year", says Dr. Sang Deog Yeo, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of LG Display.

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When the CBS app was launched for iOS in March, Android users felt slighted. After all, Android leads in market-share -- why shouldn't it get the app first? Not to mention, many Android users are very nerdy so Big Bang Theory is a natural fit. Today, CBS announces that not only is it finally releasing it for Android, but for Windows 8 too.

Jim Lanzone, President of CBS Interactive says, "when we launched on iOS in March, we promised fans we would bring the CBS App to all major platforms by fall premieres. Today we are doing exactly that".

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When Steve Ballmer announced his planned retirement, many in the tech-industry suspected that he was being forcibly removed. After all, under his reign at Microsoft, the company released the much maligned Windows Vista and 8. Plus, most recently, the company had to write-off close to $1 billion over the unsuccessful Surface RT.

Today, Microsoft reveals in an SEC filing that the retiring Mr. Ballmer will not be earning the maximum of his bonus reward; a symbolic punishment.

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Linux offers much quality software. From Gimp, for photo and image manipulation, to Rhythmbox, for music, a user can easily achieve a positive software experience. However, once a program becomes largely adopted, it can get stale -- developers may rest on their laurels.

When developer Yorba came on the scene in 2009 with the popular Shotwell (photo management) and Geary (email client), it was a breath of fresh air. Not only are the programs functional, they are attractive and receive steady updates. Yesterday, Geary announced updates to both of these programs.

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Adobe Flash is a necessary evil. I say "necessary" because even though HTML5 has made major strides, a full and complete web experience still seems to rely on Adobe Flash. I say "evil" because, from a security standpoint, some of Adobe's products (Flash and Reader particularly) are constant thorns in the sides of users and administrators. It feels like almost every other day there is a new security update for an Adobe product. Steve Jobs infamously banned Flash from iOS and Adobe killed-off the Linux and Android versions voluntarily. Sadly, Adobe today announces a far worse security issue than a Flash or Reader exploit.

Today, Adobe Chief Security Officer, Brad Arkin writes, "very recently, Adobe’s security team discovered sophisticated attacks on our network, involving the illegal access of customer information as well as source code for numerous Adobe products. We believe these attacks may be related".

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Gateway has long been synonymous with affordable, quality hardware. When Acer bought the company in 2007, the Gateway name lived on as a "budget" line of computers. However, even though the computers are inexpensive, they do not skimp on quality and value. Today, the cow-print computer manufacturer announces an affordable Windows 8 All-In-One PC, named the Gateway One ZX4270.

According to Frank Chang, director of product management for Gateway, "we're very pleased to offer this compelling platform that provides a great balance of affordability and performance for those who need a PC for email, online shopping, social media and productivity applications ... the AIO form factor is easy to set up, attractive and saves space, so it fits nicely in space-constrained areas such as the kitchen or office nooks".

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To say Canonical's Mir has been controversial is putting it lightly. After all, it is designed to usurp X Server as the typical display server on Linux (with compatible video cards). To make the transition easier, the company developed XMir -- a way to support X server-designed applications until they can be updated. However, many members of the Linux community are backing the alternative X Server successor, Wayland.

Things got ugly in August when Intel abruptly pulled XMir support from its xorg display driver, saying only "we do not condone or support Canonical in the course of action they have chosen, and will not carry XMir patches upstream". Canonical employee Michael Hall replied by saying "I've said it before, I'll say it again. You will not make your open source project better by pulling another open source project down".

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As a Fedora user and fan, I keep an interest in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). You see, Red Hat owns Fedora which many people consider a testing-ground for RHEL. Today, the company announces a new update to the fifth version of its commercial-focused Linux distribution.

Red Hat announces "the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.10, the latest minor release of the mature Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Platform. With an emphasis on providing greater stability for critical applications, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.10 offers enhanced features for reliability and security, including an updated version of OpenSCAP".

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