Brian Fagioli

When a company earns huge amounts of profits, there is a lot that it can do with them, such as expand the business, spend lavishly, or just sit on stacks of money. There is something much more noble that can be done, however -- it can donate some of its bounty to people and organizations in need.

Microsoft is a company that has historically been very generous with its money, something likely inspired by the philanthropic actions of its founder Bill Gates; at least partially. Even more impressive is the company's Employee Giving program, where Microsoft matches donations of both time and money that is given by its workers. 2016 was yet another successful giving year for the Windows-maker, as it donated more than $650 million in cash, time, software, and services to nonprofit organizations. A good portion of that was from its employees.

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Cable television is very expensive nowadays, so many people are opting to cut the cord. Depending on where you live, you can sometimes get free over-the-air programming -- this is a great way to save money, but the number of channels is low. Another option is internet-based solutions such as PlayStation TV or Sling TV. The problem with these services, however, is the limitations, such as missing channels and a lack of some live sports.

Today, Google is aiming to be the best internet-based television provider with the all-new YouTube TV. The search-giant's new offering is very affordable, plus it has really impressive features like live sports, local channels, and an unlimited storage cloud-based DVR. You even get access to YouTube Red original shows. Unfortunately, it falls short of perfection.

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In computing, convergence -- having a single device to serve many roles -- is a popular idea. Using the power of a smartphone to serve as a desktop, for instance, is a great way to save money and reduce waste. Unfortunately, there really have not been any successful convergence devices in practice. Microsoft famously tried with Windows 10 Mobile, but consumers didn't seem to care about Continuum.

Luckily, Canonical seems fairly unfazed, as the company continues to see Ubuntu as an operating system that can run on phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, and more. Like Windows 10 Mobile, Ubuntu phones have failed to pique the interest of consumers, but Linux-based solutions are arguably more appropriate for convergence thanks to the kernel's ability to work well on ARM. To highlight the success of Ubuntu in this regard, Canonical has been given an award at Mobile World Congress 2017.

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When I was a kid, I watched a lot of television. As soon as I got home from school, I parked my butt on the couch and enjoyed my favorite cartoons and other such programs. Truth be told, I often kept watching until I went to bed. Yeah, I arguably wasted a lot of hours of my life this way.

If you think television watching is wasteful, wait until you get a load of this -- people are watching a combined 1 billion hours of YouTube videos every day. Yes, that is every single day. Sure, some of those videos are educational, but a lot of it is millennials watching people like PewDiePie play video games.

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While Windows 10 is a great operating system, it isn't perfect for everyone. In fact, Microsoft's offering is viewed by some to be bloated and complicated. Depending on your needs, yeah, I suppose I understand that. After all, if you live in the web browser, and don't need Windows programs, a Linux-based desktop OS could be a better choice, as it might perform better on lesser hardware. Not to mention, there are far fewer malware threats on Linux than on Windows.

If you have been thinking of switching to Linux, there are a lot of choices nowadays, but there is one such operating system designed for that purpose. Zorin OS aims to be familiar to Windows users, while its Ubuntu base makes it easy to manage and install packages. Today, Zorin OS reaches version 12.1. While it is not a massive update by any means, existing users should definitely upgrade. If you have never tried Zorin OS before, now is as good a time as any.

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In 2017, if you aren't leveraging cloud storage for your iPhone or iPad, you are doing something wrong. By uploading photos and other files to iCloud or Dropbox, for example, and then deleting them locally, you can increase the amount of available local storage. With that said, sometimes you do not want to use the cloud exclusively.

If you need to expand the available local storage on your iPhone or iPad, there are many flash drives that connect either wirelessly or using a lightning connector. SanDisk has two such popular offerings -- the iXpand Flash Drive (which connects using lightning) and the Connect Wireless Stick. The problem, you see, is that both were limited to a maximum of 128GB, while newer iOS devices came with up to 256GB internally. Today, SanDisk announces that both drives are being upped to 256GB to match the current max found on Apple's mobile devices.

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With all of the talk about border walls and immigration in the news lately, something very important sometimes gets forgotten in the discussion -- Mexicans are people. In other words, these folks are just as important as anyone else; they are not statistics. The same goes for everyone regardless of skin color, religion, region, or country. All humans matter.

Microsoft is a company that focuses on all people globally -- its products and initiatives are improving lives all over the world. Today, the Windows-maker announces it will better protect Mexicans and other Latin American people regarding information security. How? Microsoft has opened a new cybersecurity center in Mexico. The company is also working with Mexico's Federal Police to better fight cybercrime.

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This weekend is the Daytona 500. I won't be watching. While I absolutely love cars, Nascar has never been my thing. Race cars going in a circle? Meh. Daytona USA for Sega Saturn is one of my favorite games of all time, however, but I digress.

Even though Nascar isn't for everyone, it is still very popular with many. Not only do people like to watch the event as spectators, but some folks like to gamble on it too. If you are planning to put some money on the race, Microsoft may have some useful information for you. The company's Bing Predicts division is saying Denny Hamlin will win the race. Actually, the Windows-maker has predicted the top 5 positions.

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One of the best things about the Linux kernel (and associated operating systems) is the ability to work on various hardware types, including ARM. Microsoft's operating systems, by comparison, are far more narrow. True, there is the lightweight Windows 10 IoT for ARM boards, but it is hardly a factor nowadays.

Today, Ubuntu Core comes to the i.MX6-based and ARM-powered TS-4900 Computer on Module. While Android and other Linux options were already available for the IoT-friendly CoM, Ubuntu Core is still a major win. Canonical's revolutionary snap packages should work beautifully here.

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Ever since I bought my MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, I have been obsessed with USB-C. Since it is the only connection type Apple's laptop offers, its kind of hard not to be. Still, I find it absolutely amazing that a single connection type can be so versatile. I can use it to charge the computer, output video, connect storage, and more.

There are no shortages of USB-C dongles and accessories on the market, and today, IOGEAR adds another. The accessory-maker announces the Portable USB-C Dual DisplayPort Monitor Dock, and it is rather clever. It features dual DisplayPort connections, plus a USB Type-A port for legacy devices. It is even designed in such a way as to hold the cable when not in use.

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Whenever I build a computer, I often look to AMD processors first. It is partly from tradition -- I have long preferred the company's processors, but that is hardly a reason to buy something. Actually, I turn to AMD because its chips are both powerful and affordable. For gaming in particular, there is a lot of value to be had from the company's CPUs.

For a while now, Intel has been selling better-performing chips than AMD's, albeit often more expensive. Many AMD fans, such as myself, have long been waiting for more competitive offerings. Well, folks, the time has finally come. Today, AMD announces the release date and pricing for the Ryzen 7 desktop processors. Intel should look out, as these chips, in some situations, can outperform its Core i7 processors! More importantly, AMD can do it at a more competitive price.

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The Oscars are this Sunday, and I have seen a grand total of zero of the films nominated for Best Picture. Isn't that a shame? This is because of a few factors -- the theater is too expensive nowadays, and I simply haven't had the time. Not to mention, none of this year's nominated films particularly interest me. Oh well.

To celebrate the much-anticipated award show, the folks over at Google have created a leaderboard for the nine Oscar "Best Picture" nominated movie trailers. The search giant explains that the rankings are comprised of views "including both studio channels and popular aggregators." The ranking is not at all surprising, with the overall most-watched film trailer getting a lot of hype lately.

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Believe it or not, in 2017, file-sharing between individuals is not a particularly easy affair. Quite frankly, I had a better experience more than a decade ago sending things to friends and family using AOL Instant Messenger. Nowadays, everything is so fragmented, that it can be hard to share.

Today, Google unveils yet another way to share files. Called "Upspin," the open source project aims to make sharing easier for home users. With that said, the project does not seem particularly easy to set up or maintain. For example, it uses Unix-like directories and email addresses for permissions. While it may make sense to Google engineers, I am dubious that it will ever be widely used.

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Are you a PC gamer? If yes, you should really get yourself a gaming headset. When playing multiplayer games online, a big part of the experience is trash-talking opponents. Not to mention, for those of you that live with other people, a headset can prevent arguments over late-night gaming marathons that keep folks awake. It is common courtesy to game with a headset or headphones.

Back in October of 2016, Mad Catz launched the Tritton ARK 100 stereo gaming headset for consoles like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Today, the company begins shipping the PC variant to retailers. This model can connect using USB for a special 7.1 surround mode. If you prefer to use 3.5mm, do not worry --  it has that connectivity too, but only for stereo.

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For Indian shoppers, Flipkart is a very well known online retailer. For smartphone buyers in particular, the internet shop is a great place to get quality Android devices at affordable prices.

Today, Flipkart announces something that should improve its shopping experience; the Indian retailer has selected Microsoft Azure for its cloud platform. While this won't be particularly visible to shoppers, Microsoft's platform should be a behind-the-scenes win for the overall customer experience.

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