Eliana Willis

The default Rhino Linux desktop makes Xfce look great. Jack Wallen/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysRhino Linux is a rolling release Linux distribution based on Ubuntu that is available now and ready to impress.It’s beautiful and offers one of more useful command-line package managers on the market.There’s no GUI for installing software.If you’re looking for a Linux operating system that has a unique perspective, I suggest checking out Rhino Linux. It’s a Ubuntu-based, rolling-release Linux distribution, meaning all software is updated as soon as the developers roll out the new version. In other words, your desktop will always be up to date. And because of the way rolling releases work, you don’t have to worry about doing major upgrades from version 1 to 2 or 10 to 11, or whatever would come next in a traditional approach.Also: The best old-school Linux window managers that still hold upRhino uses a modern take on the highly efficient and customizable Xfce desktop (dubbed “Unicorn”) to help make the interface immediately familiar to anyone who logs in. You’ll find a dock on the left edge of the screen that contains launchers for common applications, access to the Application Grid (where you can find all of your installed software), and a handy Search Bar (Ulauncher) that allows you to quickly search for and launch any installed app (or even the app settings) you need.Normally I’m not a big fan of recommending the Xfce desktop to users without plenty of experience on either the Linux desktop or with enough know-how to learn a new interface quickly. Thanks to myriad configuration options, Xfce can be a bit daunting. At the same time, the array of settings makes Xfce highly customizable, which is exactly what the Rhino developers did when they designed this desktop.For those who want a desktop that makes short work of accessing files, the Rhino developers have added a really nifty tool to the top bar. You’ll find a listing of some folders you have in your Home directory (Files, Documents, Music, Pictures, Video). If you click on one of those entries, you’ll see a list of the most recently accessed files within the directory. Click on the file you want to open with the default, associated application. More

Asus/ZDNETAsus is well-known for its stylish laptops with gorgeous displays, and the Vivobook Go 15.6-inch laptop More

Jack Wallen/ZDNETSafari on MacOS offers a good experience. It includes great tab management, is well-optimized for Apple Silicon (so it won’t drain your battery, as some browsers might), and is fairly secure out of the box.With the help of a handful of extensions, you can improve that experience with better security, privacy, and productivity. The extensions I have chosen are free, although some have in-app purchases for premium features, and are easily installed from within the MacOS App Store.Also: What’s new in MacOS Sonoma? Here’s everything you need to knowWith that said, let’s get right to the extensions. More

Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images Just last month, a study showed that — no surprise — ChatGPT is the most popular AI tool, at least in terms of app downloads. What was surprising about that research was that some other giant names in the AI business were absent, including Google’s Gemini. Now, a new study from creative subscription service […] More

Maria Diaz/ZDNETAmazon’s October Prime Day event is almost here, and many discounts on our favorite computer monitors are cropping up. It can be difficult to sift through all the great deals because there are so many. I want to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on Samsung’s Odyssey OLED G9, a gaming monitor that is undoubtedly the best in its class.Also: The best October Prime Day deals live nowFirst, it’s massive. The Odyssey G9, as I’ll call it, measures a whopping 49 inches diagonally and outputs at a resolution of 5,120 x 1,440 pixels. This is the equivalent of having two Quad HD monitors side by side. What’s more, it has a curvature of 1800R, so when you sit in front, it’ll feel like the screen envelopes you on all sides. Its unique design delivers an immersive gaming experience that is second to none. You’ll notice action in your peripheral vision that you wouldn’t normally see on a smaller monitor.In addition to the high resolution, Samsung’s display has multiple features that work together to enhance the image quality. You have DisplayHDR True Black 400 for high-contrast videos. Shades of black look exceptionally dark, and the software prevents other colors from bleeding in the darker areas. This is important protection because the Odyssey G9 is an OLED monitor, so colors are exceptionally vibrant. To maintain solid performance, it supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro to ensure stable and jitter-free outputs. Gamers will appreciate the 0.03 ms response time and the 240Hz refresh rate. Together, these two features allow you to stay on top of your opponents.A monitor of this size may seem impractical at a glance. However, I would argue that a 49-inch monitor can be one of the most space-efficient displays on the market. A dual-monitor setup requires enough space for the pair, which can be tough on a small desk. But the Odyssey G9 only needs enough room for its base, and it’s big enough to mimic a dual-monitor setup. It is also adjustable, so you can raise or tilt the screen if you need extra room.Also: Best early Prime Day monitor deals to shop in October 2024I should also point out that there is more to the curvature than looking impressive. A 2016 Harvard Medical School study found that those who used a curved monitor reported experiencing less eye strain and blurred vision than those who used a flat-screen monitor.I’ve wanted to purchase Samsung’s monitor for a while but haven’t been able to because it was so expensive. But now, the Odyssey OLED G9 More

The Thunderbird Appointment UI is very well designed and simple to use. Jack Wallen/ZDNETDo you have a small business that requires appointment booking? If so, you might be interested in knowing that the team behind the Thunderbird email client has created an appointment service aptly named Thunderbird Appointment, and it’s already looking to be something special.I was invited to test the beta version and I’m thoroughly impressed. Thunderbird Appointment is a stand-alone web service that offers the ability to deploy the service on your own LAN via a Docker container. If deploying a service on your own LAN isn’t your cup of tea, the available service will do just fine.Also: 5 nearly hidden Android features you should already be usingWith Thunderbird Appointment, you can plan an event, set your availability, and share with others. You can even connect your Google Calander (selecting a specific calendar to be used for the appointments), book one-off appointments or recurring events, add details to meetings, enable booking confirmation, and confirm each booking that is sent to you via email. Once you’ve accepted an appointment, it is automatically added to your Thunderbird Appointment calendar and the calendar you’ve linked to the service (if applicable).I even tested Thunderbird Appointment by deploying it on a test server within my LAN (using docker-compose) and was impressed with how easy it was to get up and running. Within less than 2 minutes I had my booking service running on my LAN. Also: The 4 best closed-source email clients for LinuxI’ve tested other appointment software (even Google’s take on the service) and found Thunderbird Appointment to stand up with the best of them.As far as settings are concerned, you can configure the following:LanguageThemeTime formatTime ZoneAvailable calendarsAccount informationConnected accounts (on the beta you can connect Mozilla, Google, and Zoom accounts)Once you’ve created your Thunderbird Appointment account (currently, the service is free), you can then set your availability (time and days of the week), add scheduling details — such as calendar, earliest booking, farthest booking, and booking duration), meeting details (video link and notes), and booking settings (quick link and booking confirmation enable/disable). More

The Meta Quest 3 gets a price drop this fall. Jason Hiner/ZDNETAt the Meta Connect event on Wednesday, Meta announced that not only would it discontinue the 128GB version of the Meta Quest 3 VR headset, it would also drop the price of the 512GB version More

Sony/ZDNETNow is the time to kickstart your home theater or give it a total refresh. Amazon is offering a great bundle deal where you’ll get both a Sony Bravia 7 More