Reviews

Microsoft last week launched its new Surface line, and elements of it better target Apple's weaknesses than any prior effort. Let's talk about the new Surface PC product that best showcases how Microsoft can compete with Apple. We'll close with the product of the week, the Surface Duo 2, which has ...

Trust in sources that we depend on for business and personal decisions is critical. A platform that aggregates opinion and news should be held to the highest standard of trust and honesty. Last week we heard that Facebook's moderating system XCheck gives special privileges to some celebrities and po...

The latest release of POP!_OS Linux clearly shows that the in-house tweaking of the GNOME desktop to the COSMIC GNOME-based desktop is even more inviting. Developer System76 has made some bold moves to push this distro to the forefront and spark its popularity among newcomers to Linux -- as well as ...

Microsoft's new Cloud PC with Windows 10/11 service potentially offers a way for some Linux users to sidestep what could be the last barrier for businesses to adopt the Linux desktop without leaving behind must-have Windows applications. But if you lack a company's backing, for the time being you ca...

What if we applied the military's capacity to build "weapons" to save people from natural disasters? Let's talk about some of the inventions that could be used to make us all safer, and switch our focus from harming to helping. We'll close with the product of the week, arguably the coolest Tesla-lik...

To fix the problem Facebook is trying to solve requires — and this is where the irony comes in — a social network, which Facebook’s collaboration failure showcases it is not.

MakuluLinux Shift is a well-designed Linux distro that blends several mainstream design concepts with performance features not found elsewhere. One of Shift's most unique features, which is greatly expanded in this latest version, is the ability to modify major design elements effortlessly. Hence, i...

Let's explore the the state of affairs with electric cars, and key determinants to consider if you have your mind on an EV. Then we'll close with the product of the week -- a new laptop from HP.

Amazon last week held its Alexa Live 2021 developer conference, which would have been a lot more fun if during the event the Amazon Echo show in my office hadn't gone insane. Let's talk about the promise and some of the problems with the coming wave of ambient computing devices. Then we'll close wi...

OPINION

Tech Solutions To Beat the Heat

It's been a sweltering summer for those of us on the West Coast of the United States, and keeping power bills down when running air conditioning 24/7 is a challenge. This week, let's highlight technologies you can use to personally respond to the heat problem and deal with a world that is becoming ...

Intel's Clear Linux* has been on my radar for its ambition to sprint to the head of the pack. While it's certainly not the first distro developed by a tech heavyweight, it's a rare case in which a private company releases a distro with no direct commercial application. It's an experiment to prove wh...

Those of us who grew up with Star Trek might remember a device from the series called a replicator. This was a 3D printer of sorts that could create almost anything, ranging from food to weapons, at the touch of a button. Let's talk about our progression to the home-based replicator that could take ...

The advantage of using a VR rig without a tether is huge because in a complex movement-oriented game you tend to get tangled in the tether. Let's talk about the Oculus Quest 2 this week and the announcement that this class of products is about to embrace 5G for its next generation. We'll close with ...

Windows 11 shows a massive change in focus from earlier significant releases, which pretty much assures that the Microsoft's mistakes of the past won't be repeated, at least not under the current leadership. It also suggests a path to the next version of Windows -- which for now we'll call Windows 1...

Technewsworld Channels