As a trained Sociologist who has a few sisters, yet no brothers, I have a keen eye for recognizing sex and gender inequalities -- especially when it comes to females (at least I like to think so). Truth be told, many such claims of girls and women being excluded or underrepresented in certain industries aren't always the case of purposeful oppression. In other words, a certain gender having a larger role in something could be organic -- men and women are different, and that is OK.

When it comes to STEM ( Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), however, it has largely been a boys-club, due to years of arguably intentional exclusion based on ignorant thoughts regarding the minds and capabilities of women. Actually (and obviously), girls and women can absolutely thrive in the sciences, and Google has long been a proponent of its encouragement. Today, the company continues it its positive focus by making the documentary "CODEGIRL" free for 5 days on YouTube. The film shows thousands of girls competing in a coding competition, which should not only be inspiring for other girls, but all people regardless of sex or gender.

Living a Microsoft lifestyle is pretty convenient. Not only is Windows 10 a wonderful operating system, but the company's services are great too. For example, you can't go wrong with the fabulous Office 365, Xbox Live Gold and Skype to name a few.

Unfortunately, paying for each Microsoft service individually can be a costly affair. Luckily, a refreshed Microsoft Work and Play bundle is once again available, just in time for the holidays, and you should totally take advantage. Seriously, you are getting more than $360 in value for a paltry $149 -- it is a no-brainer. It would even make a great Christmas present too.

There was a point in time where Microsoft was viewed as the giant closed source monster; the enemy of the Linux and open source communities. While that may have been true at one time (and some would argue still true), Microsoft has actually embraced open source lately, choosing to evolve rather than dissolve.

Now, Microsoft is showing its commitment to open source technologies -- particularly on Azure -- by seeking to hire Linux and open source professionals. Seriously, the company has hundreds of open positions just waiting to be filled. Will you apply?

Windows 10 is a wonderful operating system -- the best operating system that Microsoft has ever created. With that said, there are still many bugs in it. Plus, the privacy concerns are legit, despite what some fan-sites may have you believe. My biggest annoyance? Advertisement prompts telling me to try Office 365, and regular survey prompts asking me to rate Windows -- I am on the retail build, not pre-release, and that is totally inappropriate.

With all of that said, it is totally understandable that some Windows 7 and 8 users want to hold off on installing version 10. Sadly, Microsoft seems intent on pushing the new operating system on the world. First, the company was caught intentionally downloading Windows 10 setup files onto unsuspecting PCs. Of course, let us not forget that "accident" where Microsoft forcibly upgraded some computers to Windows 10. Now, according to Terry Myerson, Microsoft's Executive Vice President of the Windows and Devices Group, the company will start pushing Windows 10 even harder in 2016.

Buying a laptop can be a confusing affair. Of course you want something powerful, but looks matter too. In other words, the entire experience makes a difference; consumers want the entire package to be well-thought out in both design and execution.

System76 now has such a laptop; the all-new Ubuntu-powered Oryx Pro is absolutely gorgeous, featuring a black aluminum chassis. Inside, however, is is equally beautiful, with Skylake processors (Core i7 only), DDR4 memory and NVIDIA graphics by default. You can even opt for a cutting-edge G-SYNC display. Yes, keeping true to its Oryx name (a type of antelope) this laptop is a Linux beast!

Windows 10 laptops are a dime a dozen nowadays -- there are a ton of models to choose from, making it difficult for consumers to decide. To make matters worse, even Microsoft has gotten into the laptop game with the pricey Surface Book.

Today, Lenovo introduces the all-new Yoga 700. Its Yoga line has provided good value for consumers that want a quality convertible laptop at an affordable price, and the newest models are no exception. Available with either 11 or 14 inch displays, the latter can even be equipped with NVIDIA graphics.

Apple's super-thin MacBook is wonderful in many areas; however, there is a particular aspect that is arguably deficient. You see, it has a cutting-edge USB 3.1 Type-C port, which is awesome, but that, unfortunately, is the only port (besides a 3.5mm audio jack).

If you need to connect multiple USB Type-A devices, or access an SD (or micro SD) card, you are out of luck. Luckily, accessory-makers are always creating products to meet consumers' needs. Today, Satechi announces its Type-C Hub Adapter for Apple MacBook.

While not all open source solutions are better than the closed source alternatives, opting for the former for underlying infrastructure is generally a good idea. This will provide a business with flexibility and stability while sometimes saving money too.

A Singapore school, the Yale-NUS College, had some needs revolving around the cloud, so it wisely chose two open source friendly companies to help -- Dell and Red Hat. The OpenStack cloud solution, a product that was co-created by the two aforementioned companies, has been a huge success for the college.

Mechanical keyboards are all the rage nowadays, and for good reason; whether you are a gamer or typist, you can experience improved accuracy and feedback using them. Quite frankly, once you use one it is hard to go back, as many modern keyboards are mushy and terrible.

Today, Penclic announces the MK1 Mechanical Keyboard. This model has some nice features, such as brown switches and backlit keys. My favorite aspect, however, is the key design -- the font looks funky; caps lock and shift are particularly unique. Even cooler? The "super" button does not have a Windows logo; Mac and Linux users should appreciate that. It would go great with an Ubuntu-powered System76 computer.

The Android smartphone market has been extremely stagnant lately. With the exception of the brilliant Samsung Galaxy Note5 and 6 Edge Plus, none of the designs have been particularly impressive. This is the unfortunate result of a now-mature segment.

Today, however, Motorola injects some much-needed excitement into the world of Android with the Droid Turbo 2 and Droid Maxx 2. While both phones should be fast and have long battery life, the real wow-factor is the shatterproof design of the Turbo 2. Are you a klutz when it comes to dropping or breaking your phone? Then you should definitely take notice.

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. While it is more appropriate for children, I enjoy watching scary movies on TV and eating candy. The candy I buy to give out just happens to be the ones I like -- such a coincidence!

Believe it or not, Halloween is just around the corner. Look, I know you are busy -- many Americans are working harder than ever nowadays. Are you behind on your holiday planning? Don't worry, Microsoft is here to help. You see, both Cortana and Bing -- two wonderful services -- are here to assist you.

While I am not a huge fan of the Surface Book, some people apparently are. You see, the high-priced hybrid computer is, according to Microsoft, selling well. Could Apple fans be converting?

The Windows-maker is clearly targeting Mac users with this offering, as it constantly compares it to the MacBook Pro. Just in case Microsoft is successful in converting a few OS X users, the company has launched a new website titled 'Making the switch: MacBook to Microsoft Surface Book', to help with the transition.

As soon as I come home every day, the first thing I do is grab my iPad. My iPhone gets connected to the charger and then it is tablet time. While I use a lot of apps, the one I use most is Safari. Yes, on the device with the best apps, I spend a lot of time surfing the web.

While I am totally satisfied with Safari, I am open to trying an alternative. On both Ubuntu and Windows 10 I use Chrome, so maybe I should use Google's browser on my iPad too. Well, today, the search giant makes its browser much more attractive to iOS users. The iPad version now offers Split View for compatible devices, while all iOS devices gain Autofill.

The fourth quarter of each year is my favorite. Why? Well, besides wearing hoodies and drinking pumpkin spice lattes, I love the holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are three of the best. Christmas is great for the religious aspect, but regardless of your beliefs, it can be great for spending time with family and exchanging gifts.

As a tech guy, I love getting new gadget gifts (this year I want an Apple Watch), but I have more fun giving them. Presenting a family member with their first computer or tablet just warms my heart. If you are not sure what tech to buy for your friends and family this year, don't panic. Best Buy, the popular electronics retailer, has conducted a survey and determined the hottest tech for the 2015 holidays. If you stick to this list, you cannot go wrong. Do you agree?

Halloween is growing nearer every day. Soon, the streets will be full of children dressed like Frankenstein, Dracula and the Werewolf. More importantly, there will be much candy to eat.

Ubuntu users do not have to wait until October 31st for frightful fun, however, as today the Wily Werewolf starts howling at the moon. Yes, Ubuntu 15.10 is finally here, ready to transform your computer into a powerful monster!