Brian Fagioli

Other than Apple Watch, smartwatches can't be luxurious and stylish, right? Wrong. Sure, Apple may be the leader in tech fashion, but other manufacturers are getting in on the game too. Just yesterday, I wrote about some really fancy-looking Fossil watches that are totally chic.

Today, however, what may be the most luxurious smartwatch of all time makes its debut. Samsung is partnering with watch and jewelry-maker, de GRISOGONO, for a special version of the Tizen-powered Gear S2. It is so fancy, that even Jony Ive of Apple may be jealous.

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When it comes to gaming PCs, I prefer to build my own. Selecting the components, piece by piece, can be very rewarding. If you are on a budget, it is often more affordable than buying a pre-built machine too.

While many hardcore PC gamers would pooh-pooh buying an already-assembled computer, sometimes a tower comes along that is so special, that all rules go out the window. Today, such a special PC begins shipping to consumers. The MSI Vortex is a tiny gaming PC in a cylinder-shaped chassis. It is sort of like Apple's Mac Pro in outward appearance, but the comparisons stop there.

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While financial pundits are constantly discussing the profitability of Twitter and its stock, tech geeks such as me just enjoy using the damn thing. It is without a doubt my favorite social network -- it helps me stay on top of news and trends in a no-nonsense way.

Unfortunately for Windows 10 Mobile users (yes, they exist), a proper Twitter app was not available. Today, this changes, as an official app comes to Microsoft's struggling mobile platform. Yes, the Windows-maker is experiencing a rare win with its mobile OS. This is great news, as only yesterday the popular Here Maps defected from the platform.

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One of the most important things any human can do is learn. Keeping your mind sharp and active is very healthy. While formal education, such as college, is a great investment in yourself, it is understandably too expensive for many. While I cherish my degree, I don't love my monthly student loan payment.

Luckily for current learners, massive open online courses are becoming increasingly popular. While these MOOCs may not carry the same panache as a university diploma, they can enable you to learn new things for free. Today, the Linux Foundation announces the totally free 'Intro to Cloud Infrastructure Technologies' course. This will be offered through the reputable edX.org.

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When the Apple Watch was announced, I was a bit dubious. While I was sold on the smartwatch concept, and liked the devices that beat Apple to market, I wasn't sure that consumers would want luxury -- and premium prices -- mixed with their tech. The first Android Wear watches were not stylish, but as time marched on, manufacturers started to follow Apple's wise luxury-focused lead. Watches based on Google's platform can look nice!

Today, Fossil announces two new Android Wear smartwatches -- the Q Marshal and Q Wander -- and they are both luxurious and attractive. Should Apple watch out? Pun intended.

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Happy Tuesday, dear BetaNews readers! While the day prior to Wednesday is usually a drag, today is an exception. Why? There are plenty of primaries today, including the coveted Florida. If you are interested in American politics, today should be very exciting. The outcome of today's voting could cause some candidates to drop from the race.

If you are still undecided on a candidate, don't worry -- it is smart not to rush important decisions. Luckily, in these modern times, there are plenty of resources about the candidates, including the venerable Google Search. Today, that search engine is getting a politics-focused update, delivering campaign funding and trending info for all of the remaining candidates -- Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and John Kasich.

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The Raspberry Pi line of computers are so much fun. By utilizing an OS-loaded memory card, it is easy to get started, making it a great project for young technology enthusiasts.

But what if you prefer a larger mechanical hard disk drive to an SD card? Sure, you can leverage a USB variant, but they typically aren't designed for the Raspberry Pi. Today, Western Digital announces a Raspberry Pi-focused HDD, called the WD PiDrive 314GB. Yes, as you can probably guess from the name, the low-power drive features 314 gigabytes.

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If you are a college student, you probably look forward to the summer as a relaxing time away from learning. Yeah, I get it -- school can be very stressful, but sleeping late and vegetating won't result in meaningful growth.

Instead of wasting your summer, why not learn about open source? If that sounds boring, then maybe it isn't for you. However, if you are excited by the possibility of working on an open source project like Fedora, KDE, LibreOffice or VLC, then you should sign up for Google's Summer of Code 2016.

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Many people look at hackers as bad guys, and yeah, some are. However, some of these people are actually good -- their work is beneficial for security. When they discover exploits, and report them, it can result in more secure software -- if companies listen, that is.

Google is a huge proponent of for-good hacking, and it even has its own Chrome Reward Program aimed at motivating these people. Basically, Google will pay hackers to find and report security issues in its Chrome software. Today, the company is upping the ante by increasing how much it will pay out.

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Many people fear artificial intelligence, and the reasons range from sensible to science-fiction. Some people are worried it could lead to a loss of jobs, while others fear a robot-fueled apocalypse, such as in the Terminator films. Me? I'm not worried, but excited. Don't fear progress, y'all.

Today, Microsoft announces a new artificial intelligence solution, called Project AIX. It is quite intriguing, and should excite millennials, as it is based on the wildly-popular Minecraft video game. The really interesting aspect, however, is that Microsoft is making it an open source project.

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While both Android and iOS are solid and mature mobile operating systems, Apple's offering seems to get more developer support. Even though Google's OS reigns supreme from a market share perspective, iOS generates the most profit. Not to mention, Apple's products don't really deal with the fragmentation issues that Android does.

Microsoft doesn't discriminate between the two, offering many apps for both platforms. One of its most popular apps is Outlook. The email client works brilliantly, but on iOS, it is gaining a new trick -- Touch ID support. Yes, you can now protect your email on iPhone and iPad with biometrics.

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When it comes to cross-platform chat, I used to be a huge proponent of Skype. Since Microsoft's offering is on a number of platforms, it made sense. Unfortunately, the company didn't keep up with quality, letting Skype get stale. Even worse, it has seemingly abandoned its Linux development, making it a non-starter for many.

Telegram is emerging as one of the best cross-platform chat solutions, being available for Windows, Android, iOS, Ubuntu, etc. Best of all, it is constantly being updated. It is beautiful and clearly cared for. Not to mention, it offers encryption -- something very important in today's security climate. Today, one of its killer features, Supergroups, gets a major upgrade. Yes, Telegram is getting even better.

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Windows 10 is a wildly popular operating system in more ways than one. In one regard, it is installed on hundreds of millions of machines. In another, it is popular with technology pundits as something to portray in a negative light.

While it isn't perfect, Windows 10 is the best version of Microsoft's operating system ever. It is fast, reliable, and pretty. Best of all, it runs an endless amount of classic Windows programs, plus the new universal Windows apps too. True, there are some privacy concerns, but if you don't trust Microsoft with your data, why are you using any of the company's software? Sorry, y'all, Microsoft knows what's best for you -- stop fighting Windows 10! Sticking to an older version of the OS is asinine.

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When you think of the internet of Things, or IoT, indoor items likely spring to mind -- lamps, refrigerators, thermostats, etc. But "things" exist outdoors too. As the spring and summer seasons approach, more and more people will spend time in one of the most treasured parts of their property -- the yard.

Yes, many homeowners have yards -- grass, gardens, ponds, and more -- where they can enjoy the outdoors and spend time with family. If the inside of your home can be "smart", why can't your yard? Well, good news, folks -- Scotts Miracle-Gro is launching an open IoT platform, called 'Gro', that focuses on the outdoors. Yes, the connected smart yard is here.

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Basketball is one of my favorite sports to spectate, but holy cow -- the NBA is atrocious lately. Professional basketball is just a poor product right now, and I don't just say that because I'm a Knicks fan. Many modern pro players seem to lack fundamentals, leading to sloppy play and boring games.

Luckily, college hoops is still an exciting affair, and March Madness -- the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament -- is almost here. If you are a fan of this tournament, and I hope you are, you can experience it this year on the Roku platform.

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