Linux on the MAG1 8.9 inch mini-laptop (Ubuntu and Fedora)

The Magic Ben MAG1 mini-laptop is a 1.5 pound notebook computer that measures about 8.2″ x 5.8″ x 0.7″ and which features an 8.9 inch touchscreen display and an Intel Core m3-8100Y processor. As I noted in my MAG1 review, the little computer also has one of the best keyboards I’ve used on a laptop this small and a tiny, but responsive trackpad below the backlit keyboard. Available from GeekBuying for $630 and up, the MAG1 ships with Windows 10, but it’s also one of the most Linux-friendly mini-laptops I’ve tested to date. [...] I did not install either operating system to local storage, so I cannot comment on sleep, battery life, fingerprint authentication, or other features that you’d only be able to truly test by fully installing Ubuntu, Fedora, or another GNU/Linux-based operating system. But running from a liveUSB is a good way to kick the tires and see if there are any obvious pain points before installing an operating system, and for the most part the two operating systems I tested look good to go. Booting from a flash drive is also pretty easy. Once you’ve prepared a bootable drive using Rufus, UNetbootin, or a similar tool, just plug it into the computer’s USB port, hit the Esc key during startup to bring up the UEFI/SETUP utility. Also: Top 10 technical skills that will get you hired in 2020

Android Leftovers

• Android apps are apparently now more secure than ever

• BREAKING: Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite & Mi Max 3 Android 10 update rolling out as MIUI 11 beta (Download links inside)

• OnePlus 6/6T receiving Android 10-based OxygenOS 10.0.1 update

• BREAKING: Nokia 9 PureView Android 10 update goes live across the globe (Download links inside)

• Sony begins rolling out the Android 10 update for the Xperia 1 and Xperia 5

• Nokia 9 PureView becomes only the brand's second phone updated to Android 10

• How to find sleep information in Google Fit on Android: Know steps here

• What Sundar Pichai taking over the Google universe means for search, Android and Nest

• Google's Live Caption feature for Android phones is too cool -- here's how to use it

• Android’s Focus mode could be a game-changer for anyone struggling with constant distractions

• Nokia’s new 55-inch 4K Android TV costs $590, but you can’t get it in the US

• Critical DoS messaging flaw fixed in December Android update

An Extensive Look At The AMD Naples vs. Rome Power Efficiency / Performance-Per-Watt

Since the AMD EPYC 7002 "Rome" series launch in August we have continue to be captivated by the raw performance of AMD's Zen 2 server processors across many different workloads as covered now in countless articles. The performance-per-dollar / TCO is also extremely competitive against Intel's Xeon Scalable line-up, but how is the power efficiency of these 7nm EPYC processors? We waited to deliver those numbers until having a retail Rome board for carrying out those tests and now after that and then several weeks of benchmarking, here is an extensive exploration of the AMD EPYC 7002 series power efficiency as well as a look at the peak clock frequencies being achieved in various workloads to also provide some performance-per-clock metrics compared to Naples.

Firefox Picture in Picture is Sweet, Here’s How to Use it on Linux

Picture in picture (PIP) is a novel feature that makes it a doddle to watch a video while you’re busy doing something else (like reading blog posts). How? It allows video content to “pop out” of a web page and play in a separate floating window (with mouse-over player controls, where possible). With PIP you no longer need to tear out a browser tab, resize it narrowly, and try and fit it in somewhere on your screen. And Firefox 72, which is currently in beta, supports this handy feature on the Linux desktop.