Brian Fagioli

While Hurricane Harvey has been devastating, there has been one positive aspect -- it has shown that people are still willing to help their fellow man. After the tragedy in Charlottesville, it felt like humanity was on the decline, but the outpouring of donations and support for the affected people in Texas has warmed my heart and renewed my faith. Not only have both people and organizations donated money, but time and resources too. Google, for instance, has been helping in many ways.

Today, Verizon also pledges money to the folks affected by Harvey, but its donation dwarfs those made by many other companies. The company is not only promising a jaw-dropping $10,000,000, but it will help the people of Texas in other ways too.

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The Windows Insider Program might still be fun for some members, but for others it is getting to be a confusing chore. Don't get me wrong, it is cool that Microsoft lets fans try these pre-release builds of Windows 10, but lately there have been too many builds, requiring too much user effort, with little to no payoff. Remember folks, the operating system should never be the star of the show -- it should fade into the background as you do things with it.

Today, Microsoft releases yet another Windows 10 Insider Preview Build -- 16278 for PC. Sorry Windows 10 Mobile users -- you are being left out of this party. Unfortunately for PC users, this new build is quite bland, once again focusing on fixes. This shouldn't be surprising, however, as the company is now focusing on making things stable for an upcoming gold version of Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. To make things worse, the company has also removed yet another feature from the upcoming version of the OS -- taking HDR screenshots with the Xbox app.

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Microsoft's Groove Music Pass is an exceptional streaming music service. If you spend a lot of time on Windows 10, it is the best music experience on the platform. The app is well designed, and it fits in with the overall Windows 10 motif. It can even be used on Xbox One. Groove offers a really good selection of tunes too -- right up there with its competitors.

Believe it it not, Microsoft's service is cross-platform, also working natively on Android and iOS. The mobile apps are decent, but not fantastic. Fans of macOS and Linux-based desktop operating systems, such as Ubuntu and Chrome OS, can also use the service thanks to the brilliant web-based player. If this all sounds good to you, I have some great news. As part of a Labor Day promotion, Microsoft is offering an insane seven months of the service for the price of just one month. Yes, really.

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Mesh networking is all the rage nowadays. This is a technology where several access points work together to provide enhanced coverage and range. This concept works great, as I learned when testing the wonderful Ubiquiti Networks AmpliFi HD Mesh Wi-Fi System.

Of course, not everyone wants to buy into an entirely new Wi-Fi system. If you are happy with your current router, but you need to extend range and coverage, you can always go with a range extender. These products act as a middleman between your device and router. Today, NETGEAR announces a new such product and it is chock-full of really impressive specifications and features, such as smart roaming. Quite frankly, its technology is superior to many home routers, and it has a price tag to show that.

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Windows Phone isn't just an embarrassment to Microsoft, it has also been a waste of time and money for consumers that were saddled with a poor experience. A lack of apps and unconvincing tile-based user interface meant Windows Phone never really had a chance -- it was pretty much dead on arrival. So, this year, Microsoft abandoned it, leaving many users without support and, ultimately, forcing them to buy new devices.

Unfortunately, not only did Microsoft's failed mobile experiment hurt the average consumer, but businesses and organizations too. One of the saddest cases is the NYPD, which trusted Microsoft and equipped its officers with Windows Phones -- the Lumia 830 and the Lumia 640XL. These brave men and women deserve the best technology and equipment, yet when it came to smartphones, they were given some of the worst. So, now, its officers are effectively handcuffed by obsolete and unsupported tech. Thankfully, according to the NY Post, the department is finally looking to replace these Lumia devices -- at the taxpayers' expense of course. Thanks, Microsoft!

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For many consumers, buying a wearable is all about fitness. In that case, a health-focused device, such as a Fitbit, makes a lot of sense. The problem, of course, is that no one only exercises -- they live their lives and do other things like shopping and listening to music. That is why it was frustrating that Fitbit did not produce a more robust wearable -- an actual smartwatch.

Today this changes, as Fitbit officially unveils the Ionic smartwatch, which is compatible with both iOS and Android. Rather than run Android Wear, it leverages a new operating system called Fitbit OS. It features what you would expect from a Fitbit, such as counting steps and monitoring heart rate, but it also has enhanced modes for running and swimming too. It will also work with some popular services, such as Starbucks and Pandora. The smartwatch even features a new mobile payments system called Fitbit Pay. Best of all, the Ionic features up to four days of battery life -- much longer than its competitors' offerings.

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Hurricane Harvey has proven to be quite the devastating storm for Texas. The flooding and high winds have damaged property, but even worse, it has caused injuries and fatalities too. Yes, people actually died as a result of Harvey -- heartbreaking. Remember, folks, you can replace belongings, but not your life. Here at BetaNews, our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the deceased.

Thankfully, many people and organizations are donating both money and resources to help those affected by the hurricane. One of those businesses, Google (which has 450 employees in Texas), is stepping up in a big way. The company is donating $250,000 plus matching employee donations up to the same amount. When the company's donations are added to its employee donations, it could potentially be more than $750,000 when all is said and done. Money aside, the search giant is leveraging its technologies to spread information and assist where needed, such as with its SOS Alerts on search results and a specialized "Harvey Crisis Map."

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When it comes to Bluetooth speakers, there is definitely a correlation between cost and sound quality. That's not to say that you have to spend an arm and a leg for a satisfying experience, but it helps. From my experience, a $20 model will certainly sound like crap, while models costing $100 and more from companies like JBL and Ultimate Ears will reward you with superior wireless sound.

But what about the midrange? Not everyone can spend $100 or more on a Bluetooth speaker. If you have less than a hundred to spend, you aren't out of luck. In fact, I have discovered a solid performer for under $70 on Amazon. Called the "ARCHEER A320," the 25W speaker is currently priced at $69.99. Even better, the company has a secret Amazon discount code for BetaNews readers that will drop the price to $44!

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Windows 10 Mobile is dead -- everyone knows it. Well, everyone except a small number of delusional people clutching their precious Lumia devices. Sigh. One day these unfortunate folks will switch to Android or iPhone so they can experience happiness.

For now, Microsoft is still keeping hope alive for these few loyal Windows Phone fans. In fact, today, the company released a new Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build, version 15245. More importantly, the company released Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 16275 for PC -- yes, yet another such build for the desktop operating system. Don't get too excited, however, as both of these builds are primarily bug fixes.

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The Xbox One X is an expensive upgrade to the existing Xbox One consoles. It features improved specifications, as well as the ability to run games at 4K with HDR. While the Xbox One S can output 4K, that is only for TV and movies -- not games. With all of that said, you would think that Xbox One X wouldn't be terribly popular since its pricey benefits are only beneficial to some.

Well, if you thought Xbox One X was merely a niche product, you would be wrong, apparently. According to Microsoft, pre-orders for the "X" variant of its gaming console are not only selling very well but breaking records too. It claims that Xbox One X pre-orders have sold faster than ones for both the original Xbox One and Xbox One S.

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Video games are big business nowadays. Not only are consoles and gaming PCs quite expensive, but so too are the games -- especially when you factor in DLC. Not only that, but hardcore gamers are even spending big bucks on "professional" accessories too, such as mice, keyboards, headsets, and more.

Today, Razer unveils what it calls a professional grade controller for Xbox One and PC. The "Wolverine Ultimate," as it is called, is a wired affair -- there is no wireless to be found. Since it is a gaming product, it even features customizable RGB lighting -- we must put lights in all the things! Of course, as you can expect, the controller is quite expensive. Believe it or not, Wolverine Ultimate costs more than Microsoft's "Wireless Elite" controller.

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The iPhone 8 should be arriving next month, and speculation and rumors about the device are coming fast and furiously. Heck, I found myself staring at Apple CEO Tim Cook's crotch on Twitter today. Don't judge me, please.

One of the rumored features of Apple's next flagship is wireless charging. Yes, I know, that is something that has been on both Android and Windows Phones for years. As is typical with Apple, however, the company often waits until a feature is perfected -- being first be damned. A popular accessory maker may have just accidentally confirmed that the iPhone 8 will not only support wireless charging, but more specifically, it will use Qi technology and not something proprietary. Whoops!

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Next month, Apple is expected to introduce a new smartphone -- probably a few new models, actually. What most folks are excited about, however, is the rumored "iPhone 8." There has been some speculation that it will be an extremely premium -- and expensive -- smartphone. Some leaked designs imply that it will have almost no bezels, while ditching the bottom physical home button and extending the screen to the very top, wrapping around the front camera and ear piece -- similar to the Essential Phone.

Based on the rumors, the iPhone 8 -- if that is even what it will be called -- could be narrower and taller than existing models, such as the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. That's why I found myself quite excited while looking at a Tweeted picture of Tim Cook's pants today. In a Tweet Cook sent from a manufacturing plant, there is a bulge in his right pocket that is clearly an iPhone. But which model is it?

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It used to be that very privacy conscious people were viewed as being a bit paranoid. Some of these evangelists for security and privacy would speak of conspiracy theories about governments and hackers accessing your email, private data, webcam feeds, and more. Well, it turns out many of these folks weren't crazy, and their conspiracy theories were actual fact. As Edward Snowden highlighted, some governments and other organizations are out to spy on you -- both for control and profit.

Thankfully, consumers are starting to wake up and become more aware, and some companies, such as Purism, are designing products to safeguard users. The company's laptops, for instance, run an open source Linux-based operating system, called "PureOS" with a focus on privacy. These machines even have hardware "kill switches" so you can physically disconnect a webcam or Wi-Fi card. Today, Purism announces that it is taking those same design philosophies and using them to build a new $599 smartphone called Librem 5. The planned phone will use the GNOME desktop environment and PureOS by default, but users can install different distros too. Sound good? Well you can help the company build it through crowdfunding.

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The star of today is undoubtedly Galaxy Note8, but Samsung's new smartphone is not the only thing to get excited about. For those enrolled in Microsoft's Insiders program, there is a new Windows 10 build to install.

Microsoft just pushed out Preview Build 16273. This is just one day after releasing a new Windows Server Insider build. While the server build had literally zero new features, the new Windows 10 build does have some; there is a new font and emoji notifications. Unfortunately, the Insiders Program is getting quite confusing. Dona Sarkar tries to explain it all, but you might be left with smoke coming out of your ears. What was once a fun way to test early builds of Windows is beginning to get very convoluted.

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