As nonprofits across the globe work to meet the needs of those they serve, it becomes increasingly difficult to dedicate precious resources to the latest technology advancements.

Microsoft is doing its part to assist their efforts through the Technology for Good program. As part of this initiative, the company will be donating Office 365  including Office applications, e-mail, calendar, HD video conferencing, and collaboration tools, to non-profits worldwide.

The new program recently kicked off in 41 countries and will be offered in 90 countries by July 2014. There is already an array of nonprofits using Office 365 including the Boys & Girls Club of America and PATH, and now more can get it for free. 

Office 365 will help organizations streamline IT needs with access to the cloud, where staff can view calendars, hold meetings and share documents. Office 365 means access is everywhere – nonprofits with multiple locations are connected with ease whether at home, at work or on location.  

Nonprofits of all sizes are welcome to apply for the program. Watch the video here to learn more and don’t forget to pass it on to your favorite nonprofit group.

You’ve probably seen it – a beautiful picture on Bing’s homepage as you start your search for a hot new restaurant or breaking news on a beloved sports team. Now, those amazing photos could be from your hometown.

Recently, Bing launched it’s first-ever Bing Hometown Homepage Contest, where anyone with a camera could submit a photo to be used as the background of the new Bing Homepage.

After several weeks and thousands of breathtaking submissions, the top 10 finalists have been chosen and now it’s your turn to get in on the action. Just “Like” the Bing Homepage Photo app on Facebook and vote today.  The finalists hail from Illinois, New York, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, North Carolina, and Virginia. 

In addition to their photo being displayed October 1 on the Bing Homepage, one of the 10 finalists will win several prizes, as well as having the Bing team visit their hometown for a day of service with the local Nature Conservancy.

Public voting ends September 20^th, so don’t wait. Visit the app now to vote for the photo that best captures your heart, or the heart of your favorite city.

Pop Quiz: Three questions. 30-seconds. Go!

• How many students have participated in the Microsoft Imagine Cup competition?
• How many photos have been stored on SkyDrive to date?
• How many pizza slices are consumed in the Microsoft cafeteria every year?

Give up? You can find the answers to these questions and more on the new Microsoft by the Numbers website. The hub features a Windows 8 style interface with interactive live tiles detailing the numbers behind some of your favorite Microsoft products, campaigns and features.

The tiles are updated frequently with new statistics, making the site a great destination for fun facts about Microsoft. The simple format is eye-catching, easy to navigate and designed for everyone from students and employees to media and customers.

Still wondering how your latest vacation photos measure up against the total number of photos added to Skydrive? You’ll just have to visit Microsoft by the Numbers to find out. Once you’ve had a chance to find the answers, we encourage you to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

As the sun sets on summer, families across the country are trying to squeeze in one last rendezvous before the season officially comes to a close. For many, that means one last backyard bash, one last dip in the pool and one last family vacation before it’s back to school for the kids and back to carpools for their parents. In fact, August is the second most popular month for summer travel, according to the Office of Travel and Tourism; and popular destinations like Disney World and Disneyland name this month their busiest.

For those in need of a getaway, there is a great, easy-to-use product that will help with planning a final summer vacation.  Microsoft OneNote helps organize links, maps, travel arrangements and documents in one location so nothing gets lost and no attraction gets missed. So, when a quick search on Bing turns up a list of must-see places - like the famous local rib joint or tucked away beach, you can keep track of all the details with ease.

Best of all, OneNote travels with you through a handy app that’s available on the most popular smartphones. Dreaming of a camping trip where there’s no phone service or Wi-fi? No problem. OneNote lets you access all your maps, notes and other important details without the need for smoke signals. Or, if you're using a browser, just open the OneNote Web App to find your vacation hot spots in an instant.

And if you’re booking a trip with friends out-of-state, don’t worry. All your notes are automatically saved online on SkyDrive, so you can send your friends a single, private link to access the latest trip details.

After the trip of a lifetime you can insert pictures, videos and highlights right into your notes. With OneNote, who needs a travel agent? For more information on OneNote, be sure to visit here.

We should all know there are many dangers that come with pirated software.  In a recent blog post, Microsoft Vice President of U.S. OEM, Peter Han, takes a look at the dangers of pirated software, including how 78% of pirated software contains spyware.

To learn more about the risks of pirated software and to view the full infographic, please read the original blog post here.