Here's How Your Favorite Tech Companies Are Helping Japan

Microsoft is offering $1.75

million in tech contributions, which include software and services. The software giant has also built a disaster response portal based

on its cloud services platform, Windows Azure, allowing governments and non-profit

organizations to communicate with citizens and different agencies.

Ma Bell is giving postpaid wireless customers free international calls and text messages to

Japan, while landline users are being credited 60 minutes in free call

time for calls made from the U.S. to Japan until March 31. AT&T is also

donating 10,000 prepaid calling cards to the U.S. military for

distribution in Japan and granting free service to the 24-hour Japanese news

channel, TV Japan, for all U-verse TV subscribers.

The world's most popular search engine launched its Person Finder service, a tool that allows users to search and set up profile pages for missing people. According to ABC News, there are nearly 140,000 records on the site. Google has also created a crisis response page that offers emergency contact information, news updates, and charity links for the Red Cross, Save the Children, and UNICEF.

The Japanese electronics brand is donating 4,000 solar LED lanterns, 500,000 dry batteries, and 10,000 radios and flashlights. Panasonic also announced it would give about $3 million in monetary donations and other necessary supplies to aid victims of the disaster. Let there be light.

NEC is donating over 100 million yen in tech products that includes computers, telecommunication and IT

networking equipment. In addition, the Japan-based multinational IT company is taking massive efforts to preserve energy throughout all of its companies by only using what is absolutely necessary to keep its operations running while supplies are still so low. Someone gets bonus points for thinking green.

Besides

accepting Red Cross donations via iTunes, Apple is using its Japan stores as

emergency shelters for employees and their families. Locations are being kept

open late with staff members assisting people on how to access the latest news

on its devices and communicate with others using FaceTime. It’s also offering

free power strips and device charging cables for anyone in need. The company is

also covering food and travel expenses for employees that attempt to go home or

stay overnight. And if they can't make it home, Apple will pay for a

hotel.

The social media service has organized a set of special hashtags to help followers communicate and search for the latest updates concerning the earthquake. It has also opened up an earthquake section on its Japan mobile site (twtr.jp) that posts links and up-to-date tweets for mobile users. Here's a list of the most popular hashtags:

#Jishin - General earthquake information

#J_j_helpme - Requests for rescue or other aid

#Hinan - Evacuation information

#Anpi - Confirmation of safety of individuals, places, etc.

#311care - Medical information for victims

Japan's favorite electronics manufacturer

is giving away 30,000 radios, and is preparing more product donations to happen within the next few months. Sony has shut down seven of its production plants, as well as its Corporation Sendai Technology Center, to evaluate the

impact of the earthquake and aid the country during its rebuilding process.

Big Red is giving international and residential customers free calls to Japan until April 10. Postpaid U.S. customers will receive free text and multimedia messaging to Japan as well. And like every other major wireless carrier, Verizon is accepting donations via text messages for non-profit organizations.

Anyone looking for live footage and round-the-clock coverage of the Japan disaster relief should jump on the live streaming website. Viewers can search through different channels and watch the latest new briefs in English or Japanese. Check out the latest developments on NHK WORLD TV's live channel. In the meantime, we're still wondering why YouTube hasn't offered the same service.