Sign up for Costco and get a $45 gift card — cutting down your membership price to just $20 for the year. Stack Social Thinking about joining Costco to save ahead of the holidays? Or, have you been sharing a membership card with your parents or friends? Now that Costco is starting to crack down […] More
Bunson Labs Linux is as beautiful as it is easy to use. Jack Wallen/ZDNETEvery so often, I’m surprised by a Linux distribution. After working with and reviewing these things for the past few decades, you’d think there aren’t any surprises left. That’s why it’s always a special experience when I do come across a distribution, unlike anything I’ve seen to date.Also: Want to save your old computer? Try these 5 Linux distributionsThat’s what happened when I installed and first logged into Bunson Labs Linux.Bunson Labs Linux is a continuation of what was once a popular distribution within the Linux community called CrunchBang Linux. For those who aren’t aware, CrunchBang refers to #!, which are the first two characters in Linux scripts, as in:#!/bin/bashThis Linux distribution uses a Debian base (with zero changes in the way the OS is managed) and uses the Openbox window manager with the addition of the tint2 panel (a desktop panel), conky (a desktop widget that displays various bits of information), and jgmenu (a user-friendly desktop menu). When you combine all of those things together, you get a desktop operating system that is as beautiful as it is easy to use.Don’t get me wrong, Bunson Labs Linux might look like a take on the Ubuntu desktop (what with the vertical panel), but it’s very much not that desktop environment. Openbox is a lightweight DE that helps to make Bunson Labs Linux perform like a beast. Even as a virtual machine (with just 3GB of RAM and 2 CPUs), my test installation performed brilliantly. This is a result of Debian and Openbox, both of which offer outstanding, out-of-the-box performance. Also: The next LTS Linux kernel is no surprise but it is packed with goodiesEven better, it took me seconds to figure out how to use this desktop operating system. I’ll admit, at first, I assumed the panel was as straightforward as any. I was wrong. The vertical panel found on this desktop is reserved for multi-tasking, which means any open app will appear as an icon in the top portion of the panel. When you open an app, the app icon will appear in the panel, allowing you to minimize the app and bring it back with a single click. More
<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Woburn 3 is the most expensive home audio speaker from Marshall. It has fantastic sound quality, strong bass, and clear mids. However, the system only supports the SBC codec. –> What’s the deal? The Marshall Woburn 3<!–> is still on sale at Amazon for $499, saving you $80. It might […] More
Maria Diaz/ZDNETWhat’s the deal?The Amazon Echo Hub More
Matthew Miller/ZDNETAmazon just released its newest Kindle Scribe last week, but I’ve been using the older Scribe model for two years now, and I don’t plan on upgrading any time soon. Sure, it’s tempting to spring for a new device, but Amazon released a handful of hardware and software updates for the first-generation Kindle Scribe that significantly improve its functionality. I updated my original Kindle Scribe to the 5.17.2 software and am very pleased that Amazon continues to enhance this pen-enabled e-reader on a regular basis. If you haven’t seen the update pop up on your own Kindle, you may have to run it manually. Just visit this Amazon page More
Adam Breeden/ZDNETI’m not usually a fan of LG TVs, but I’ve tested the LG G4 OLED TV More
Maxiphoto/Getty Images Ever shopped online for a holiday present for someone in your household? Then you’re probably familiar with the stress of monitoring your front door for a delivery to arrive — or the awkward surprise of a package showing up unexpectedly and easily identifiable in its original box. Also: Drowning in spam? Stop giving […] More
<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Plugable Folding Keyboard and Case is on sale for $45. It’s a travel-friendly keyboard that has a nice typing feel and supports multiple operating systems. However, its design isn’t the most ergonomic. more buying choices If you’ve ever read my computing reviews, you’ll know I’m a sucker for a good […] More
