Tech Link (Industry): Hands-on: Nokia's Lumia 800 is exactly what Microsoft, Windows Phone 7 need

Woot, nice to see Nokia getting its act together. My first ever mobile phone was a Nokia, and before I moved to my Android-based Samsung Galaxy Mini, I have used N9x (N95 and N98) and was pretty happy with N95. However, N98's "touch phone" isn't responsive so that pushed me to change brand and OS. I really miss Nokia's Maps though, and its FREE turn by turn navigation. Anyway, Nokia announced their newest line of product and these babies looks sleek. If they'll have smooth experience, and can perform basic functions of a phone (it's a smartphone), that is "send and receive call, and text messages, then I'm all set. And if these phones can interface to my XBox and PC with a much smoother experience than what my iOS and Android devices, then it's even more exciting. The only downside is that, US folks won't be getting their hands till next year. I can't blame them, this country is full of iPhone users.

Tech Link (Industry): Previewing ‘Windows 8’

This is a very interesting demo from Microsoft. I have always been a Windows user, and while I don't loath or hate other OS, I just got too used to this operating system. I don't even have to "hard learn" new stuff whenever MS came out with new OS, well, except during my transition from MS DOS to Windows 3.1/WFW (Windows for Workgroups). So anyway, the big news is super cool: touch interface for the upcoming Windows 8.

It's such a long time coming for the interface to show up. While "touch" has been implemented on desktop PC before this version of OS, it requires 3rd party hardware/software and it doesn't really operate differently than having a mouse (yeah, that was too long ago). Anyway, so now MS comes up with cool-looking interface and if this proved to be stable, it is a definite winner. I mean, it can run your usual Windows program, and then you can have both touch and "traditional" desktop interface, a marriage of both world = awesome. Check out the video and then read on more to see the official MS statement.

Article: Intel Fanboy's Kinect Experience

By this time, many has heard about this product and this technology. Not too long ago, it was called Project Natal, and the first time I saw it on YouTube, I was so excited and I even thought this as something like a hoax. Of course, after more than a year, an actual product has been released, and various other “hack” could be found on the web.

Press Release: Kinect for Xbox 360 Hits Million Mark in Just 10 Days

OMG! I am not console guy, but the reason why I said OMG is that I have been waiting for the product to launch since I saw it a year (or two?) ago. And about a month ago, I saw console stores having "Kinect Ready" and "Kinect pre-order" flyers and ads all over. My wife and I was thinking if we should get one, but one review turned me off. Furthermore, wifey said she tried one over at Wal Mart and while she had fun, she feels the "game" is not responsive. Well, I am thinking it's the kinect that isn't fast enough to track motions. Anyway, Microsoft is racking up some $$$ and that seems to be good for business.

Tech Link (Industry): "Deciding between a PC and a Mac?"

A friend sent me an update regarding the latest buzz over at Microsoft. Just recently, Microsoft has launched a page comparing Microsoft's (Windows) OS vs Apple's OS (MacOS). I am a Mac-newbie and I don't have enough time to research on this thing so I really can't say much whether Microsoft is doing at least a "decent" comparison. I mean, it's a Microsoft site, what can you expect right? However, what I can suggest is if you're like me who's Apple/Mac newbie, then don't just chew everything that's posted on the site. And just the same, if you're a Microsoft/Win newbie, don't just chew everything said on the Apple/Mac camp.

Tech Link (Platform): Microsoft Surface: What Media Center should have been - analyst opinion

TGDaily (yeah, I know the logo is THG) posted about a pretty cool technology that is about to hit us soon! I never expected it to be long due to be honest, since I have already seen a "similar" if not exactly the same thing for almost a year ago. Microsoft already put up a site for this technolgy and they have a pretty cool effect. Anyway, back to TGDaily, check out what they have to say on this...

When I was briefed on Surface (previously code-named Milan) a few days ago, I was incredibly impressed. Having gotten used to disappointments like Origami, Zune, and even the Media Center PC where Microsoft didn’t actually finish the offering, this product was a breath of fresh air, largely because it was complete.

Source:Microsoft Surface: What Media Center should have been - analyst opinion

Tech Link (Operating System): Vista Service Pack 1: It lives

I just saw it on my email InBox, zdnet Blogger Marley Jo Farley blogged about an alleged Service Pack One for Vista. Below is the screenshot referred by Farley, which links to the article over at WinHEC 2007.. Expand if you would like to read the Blog from Farley..

With all the Microsoft-created confusion out there around when — and even whether — the company plans to deliver the first service pack (SP) for Windows Vista, it’s nice to see some concrete proof that Vista SP1 does exist.

The WinFuture.de folks managed to grab a quick snapshot of a machine running a build of Vista SP1 during one of the Rally talks at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) in Los Angeles this week. Plain as day, it says: “Windows Build 6001 Service Pack 1, v113.”)

I also saw a PowerPoint slide mentioning the existence of Vista SP1 during a WinHEC chalk talk on “The Future of Input” at this week’s show. (The context: A shim for the kernel-mode driver foundation version of the digitizer driver will ship as a Windows Driver Kit sample in Vista SP1. That was it.)

Given all the mumbo-jumbo coming from the Windows brass lately about SP1, I actually was starting to wonder whether Microsoft might to try to go without one and just use Automatic Update and Windows Update Services to roll out all of the Vista fixes and updates.

I asked Directions on Microsoft analyst Michael Cherry before the Vista SP1 screen-shot sighting this week whether he thought Microsoft might try to do away with client service packs, starting with Vista. Cherry’s response:

“It appears that a number of people within Microsoft think that the full fledged service pack is no longer needed, because Windows Update provides a mechanism to get fixes to customers. Because everyone can download the fixes they need as soon as they are released, there is less need have rollups or service packs.

“The only thing keeping me thinking they would do a service pack was to formalize the delivering of the PatchGuard API (application programming interface) to the software vendors who need it.

“Key to keep in mind when discussing Service Packs–I can find nothing that obligates Microsoft to produce any. Any killing them kills the ‘wait for SP1 mindset.’”

Now we just need an SP1 date, beyond the “simultaneous with Longhorn Server” one that Microsoft execs provided last year. Anyone got any updated SP1 timing info to share?

Source:Vista Service Pack 1: It lives

Press Release: Microsoft Unveils Xbox 360 Elite

Hot off the press, Microsoft* released official info that their latest "Elite" series gaming console, aptly named, Xbox 360 Elite is more than just a hoax. I am glad this is released earlier, because I was thinking the rumor is actually just an early April Fool's joke. Here are some teaser pictures:

Box, Controller, Headset, Play and Charge, More...

Check out the full press release by expanding the news post.

Newsflash:
Microsoft Unveils Xbox 360 Elite

Redmond, Washington—Microsoft Corp. today announced the upcoming availability of Xbox 360™ Elite, a new model of the video game and entertainment system that includes a 120GB hard drive, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a high-definition cable, and a premium black finish for the console, wireless controller, and Xbox Live® headset.

_{The sleek Xbox 360 Elite is a digital entertainment powerhouse.}

Xbox 360 Elite has enough space for a library of Xbox Live Arcade games and thousands of songs, as well as downloadable high-definition TV shows and movies available on Xbox Live Marketplace. The new 120GB hard drive also will be sold as a stand-alone accessory to give current Xbox 360 owners greater choice and flexibility in their games and entertainment experience.

Additional Xbox 360 Elite accessories, such as the black Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit, and the Xbox 360 Rechargeable Battery Pack, will be available separately. The Xbox 360 Elite and its accessories are expected to begin arriving in U.S. stores on April 29.

"Today's games and entertainment enthusiast has an insatiable appetite for digital high-definition content," said Peter Moore, corporate vice president for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. "Xbox 360 Elite's larger hard drive and premium accessories will allow our community to enjoy all that the next generation of entertainment has to offer."

Distinguished by its black finish and signature metallic detailing, Xbox 360 Elite will have an estimated retail price of $479.99 (U.S.), and comes packed with components and accessories for the ultimate high-definition entertainment experience:

• Xbox 360 Elite console: The console is equipped with a premium black finish and three powerful core processors capable of producing the best in HD entertainment (up to 1080p), 16:9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound, HDMI output and DVD playback with upscaling capabilities right out of the box.


• Xbox 360 120GB hard drive: The 120GB detachable hard drive lets you save your games and store television shows, movies, music, pictures, trailers, levels, demos, and other content available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The hard drive is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $179.99 (U.S.).


• Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (black): This award-winning, high-performance wireless controller, now in black, features the Xbox® Guide Button for quick, in-game access to friends and music. It has a range of up to 30 feet and a battery life of 30 hours on two AA batteries. It is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $49.99 (U.S.).


• Xbox 360 headset (black): Now available in black, the headset lets you strategize or trade taunts while playing games and send voice messages to friends on Xbox Live.


• Xbox 360 HDMI cable: New to Xbox 360, HDMI allows you to get HD video (up to 1080p) and multichannel surround sound, all from one cable.


• Xbox Live Silver Membership: With this, you can chat with friends online, collect achievements and gamerscores, send and receive voice and text messages, and access Xbox Live Marketplace content such as gme demos, HD movies and TV, as well as the best in downloadable games from Xbox Live Arcade.


• One-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold: An Xbox Live Gold Membership provides a complete online entertainment experience. Subscribe to this premium service and engage in competitive online multiplayer matches, tailor your matchmaking via feedback and accomplishments, chat with more than one person at a time, and take advantage of unique privileges in the Xbox Live Marketplace and Xbox Live Arcade.

The following accessories for the Xbox 360 Elite console will only be sold separately:

• Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit: Complete with a charging cable and a black rechargeable battery pack, the Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit lets you recharge your Xbox 360 Wireless Controller without interrupting your game.it is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $19.99 (U.S.).


• Xbox 360 rechargeable battery pack (black): The rechargeable battery pack provides more than 25 hours of gameplay per charge. It is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $11.99 (U.S.).

Source:Microsoft Unveils Xbox 360 Elite

Tech Link (Operating System): Run Vista Legally Without Activation (For Awhile)

While I have known this even before Vista launched earlier this year, there is now a public document or link on the web that actually explains this "extension" of activation (PCWorld). It is interesting actually, it is now less annoying to activate the license, unlike before that you will be denied logon to OS once the license expires.

Please read thru the document, it is helpful in its own way, yay. But of course, the bottom line is, after the extension, you'll still be needed to activate the copy to ensure full functionality. Expand for more...

Windows Vista can be used for as long as 120 days without agreeing to its product activation antipiracy software, the company confirmed Friday. That's four times longer than the 30 days the company has widely used as the maximum time span the operating system can be used before it shuts down.

Several bloggers and Windows experts, including Brian Livingston, who publishes the Windows Secrets newsletter, have posted details on how to extend the 30-day grace period a maximum of three times, for 120 days. "All versions of Vista allow a 30-day period without activation, except the corporate-oriented Vista Enterprise, which supports only a three-day trial," said Livingston in the latest issue of his newsletter. "If you know the secret, however, you can extend the activation deadline of editions such as Vista Home Premium and Vista Business up to four months past the original install date."

The one-line command of "slmgr -rearm" changes the activation deadline to 30 after the current date, Livingston said.

A Microsoft spokeswoman confirmed the feature and command on Friday. "Yes, 'rearm' can be run up to three times from the release media from Microsoft," she said in an e-mail response to some questions. "This means [that] a total of 120 days total time is available as a grace period to customers that take advantage of rearm."

Microsoft has documented this option on its Vista Volume Activation 2.0 support site. Although the bulk of the technical information posted is aimed at corporate administrators, the sections dealing with repeated activation also apply to consumer users of the operating system.

Extending the grace period, the spokeswoman continued, is not a violation of the Vista End User License Agreement (EULA). Microsoft introduced product activation in 2001's Office XP and next used it in that year's Windows XP. The feature was toughened up for Vista, however; after the grace periods, nonactivated PCs running Vista drop into what Microsoft calls "reduced functionality" mode. In reduced mode, users can only browse the Web with Internet Explorer, and then only for an hour before being forced to again log on.

Some critics have argued that the new activation rules and reduced functionality combine to make what's essentially a "kill switch" -- a way for Microsoft to disable PCs running counterfeit copies of Vista. Microsoft has repeatedly rejected that characterization.

Source:Run Vista Legally Without Activation (For Awhile)

Tech Link (Operating System): Build a Windows Vista Upgrade Parachute

THG has posted an article which I find is really nice and right on time. I can't believe I sifted through all pages (12 of them) and read them all with interest, I barely spend time reading past the conclusion nowadays. Do take time to read through it, I believe the article is well thought out and free from a lot of crap and focuses on the bare essentials necessary for the topic. Check it out...

The purpose of this article is to guide you through the myriad options for upgrading to Windows Vista. My goal here is balance: I will not slavishly regurgitate Microsoft's hype, but neither will I join the growing army of Microsoft bashers.

The choices for creating a Vista computer are bewildering. Since there are so many possibilities, let me start by offering you a default solution to the main question: "what should I do about Vista?" My default advice is that you wait until June 2007 - then buy a new machine with either Vista Home Premium or Vista Business pre-installed.

From that default position, I'll review the other options for Vista. My goal is to give you the information necessary to make the best decision for your particular circumstances.

Source:Build a Windows Vista Upgrade Parachute

Tech Link (Industry): Finally, Vista Makes Its Debut. Now What?

You gotta love Bill Gates' reply on Newsweek questions. While I find the article a nice read, knowing what Bill Gates has to say on all the (negative) publicity the new Vista* OS is getting, I really find how he reacts to the new Mac* ads really funny and entertaining! I embedded one of YouTube Mac* ads for your viewing pleasure. If you want to read more, just expand. And oh, here's a quote from from the news:

Are you bugged by the Apple commercial where John Hodgman is the PC, and he has to undergo surgery to get Vista?
I've never seen it. I don't think the over 90 percent of the [population] who use Windows PCs think of themselves as dullards, or the kind of klutzes that somebody is trying to say they are.

NEWSWEEK: If one of our readers confronted you in a CompUSA and said, “Bill, why upgrade to Vista?” what would be your elevator pitch?
Bill Gates: The most effective thing would be if I could sit down with them and just take them through the new look for a couple of minutes, show them the Sidebar, show them the way the search lets you go through lots of things, including lots of photos. Set up a parental control. And then I might edit a high-definition movie and make a little DVD that's got photos. As I went through, they'd think, “Wow, is that something I could use, would that make a difference for me?”

Source:Finally, Vista Makes Its Debut. Now What?

Tech Link (Operating System): Windows Vista Arrives with a Thud

The day has finally arrived: the retail launch for Windows' new ambitious operating system. Surely with an event as highly anticipated as this one there would be PS3-like mayhem in the streets. Except there's not. We give our thoughts on why.

I can not agree more on this, I also can't convince myself why I need to upgrade to this operating system. Read the whole editorial by expanding this article.

Why We're Not Excited
As this goes to print, Windows Vista is available in the retail channel. Can you feel the buzz? I can’t either, because there isn’t one. If anything, the buzz has been negative, and more along the lines of “Tell me why I need this again?” than a laundry list of Vista features that users can’t wait to get their hands on.

This is obviously not the position Microsoft wanted to be in leading up to launch day. I remember meeting with Microsoft last year at E3 where I had my backside filled with smoke for an hour by the Vista PR crew. The gist of our hour-long meeting was, “It’s going to be awesome!” I kept asking them specifically about DirectX 10 and what it would bring to the table, and they said that since no DX10 hardware was available at that time, they didn’t want to comment. But it would, without question, “be awesome!” They also didn’t have a lot of specifics about how Vista would specifically and tangibly be better than XP, but man oh man, it was going to be great.

Fast forward to July of 2006, and I’m sitting in a room (along with many other journalists) with Peter Moore, who is in charge of Microsoft’s new Games for Windows initiative. Several people ask him questions about Xbox live and other console questions, but finally I raise my hand in the air and say, “Mr. Moore, we’ve heard all this talk about how great Vista is going to be for gaming. Can you tell me specifically how gaming on Vista will be better than on XP?” He thanked me for my question, and then rattled off a PR-laden answer that is best summarized by “It’s going to be awesome!” He finished his answer with a claim resembling, “Just wait, you’ll see.”

Finally, a short time later, I get an email saying Microsoft’s Games for Windows and Vista people want to meet with me to show me how awesome Vista and PC gaming are going to be. I readily agree, but tell my co-worker before entering the room “If they tell me it’s going to be awesome one more time…” We enter the meeting and proceed to be snow-jobbed for a half hour once again. This time, however, the meeting focused on one solitary feature of Vista - parental controls. Now, I agree that is a good feature, but I don’t have kids so this feature doesn’t mean much to me. Besides, we were there to see how good Vista was at gaming.


What was interesting though, was they were running Vista on a Voodoo PC. At the end of the presentation they asked us, “Isn’t this running great on this Voodoo PC?” We said something like, “Sure, it looks great,” while shrugging to one another. The Microsoft representative then looked at us with a big smile and said, “We’ll send you a Voodoo PC next week, so you’ll have a super-fast PC to run Vista on in your lab.” This not-so-subtle art of diverting attention is semi-common in the hardware industry, but we were surprised to see a company as powerful as Microsoft stoop to this level.

While Microsoft was running a full-court press to convince journalists of Vista’s capabilities, it was also trying to convince a delay-weary public that despite Vista’s long, winding road to market, it would all be worthwhile. The problem is that a large percentage of potential customers stopped caring about Vista some time ago, especially when key features were cut and the OS kept getting delayed. The appearance of numerous articles and editorials describing the fledgling OS as an impending disaster for Microsoft also did not help Microsoft’s PR campaign.

Now that Microsoft’s largely ineffective marketing campaign is coming to a close, we’re all faced with the question of whether or not we should upgrade. To be fair, however, most of us know that we will eventually upgrade due to Microsoft’s inclusion of DirectX 10, so it’s not really so much a question of “if” but rather “when.” Indeed, DX10 is practically the only feature most of us want, and we’ll have to pay for it, as Vista is the only way to get it. Microsoft deserves credit, in a Darth Vader type of way, for tying DX10 into Vista in order to force consumers to upgrade.

But putting DX10 aside, what other features does Vista offer that are must-haves? I think the answer is none. We all know how lacking Windows 95 and 98 were (I won’t even bother mentioning the disaster that was Windows Millennium), and both those OSes clearly needed to be improved. When XP arrived, it basically fixed most of the problems people were having with the older OSes, and a lot of people – myself included – have been perfectly happy with XP for some time now. It’s surely not perfect, but it’s damn good and very stable. All applications and games work fine, drivers abound and it’s easy to work with. What more could a computer enthusiast ask for?

That is the vexing question Microsoft is seeking to answer, and it’s a tough one since most people seem to be rather happy with XP, in all of its iterations. However, in the interest of science, I’ve been using Vista for the past six months and it’s left me completely underwhelmed. Rather than being a major step-forward in User Interface (UI) design, accessibility, and ease-of-use, it’s largely a step backward. Everything from the wonky Start Menu to the broken address bar navigation is a mess. And I won’t even get into the unbelievably cluttered Control Panel, the Network Places confusion, and the constant “this program needs your permission” dialogue boxes that pop-up for something as mundane as transferring files from a Compact Flash card to your hard drive.

There are literally so many things that irritate me about Vista, it’s not even worth going into detail on each of them. Let me just summarize by saying Vista is the opposite of what I would call “user friendly,” and a lot of steps Microsoft has taken to make things easier have had the opposite effect. Throw in the discombobulated driver support, lack of support for third-party hardware, benchmarks that show Vista to be slower in games than XP, and its steep price tag and you’ve got an OS that most people don’t see the need for, and quite frankly, don’t really want.

Sadly, none of these issues will slow the adoption of Windows Vista. It’s been reported that Microsoft makes 80 percent of its operating system revenue from pre-built machines, which will fuel the adoption rate and allow for Vista to achieve widespread market penetration this year, despite the consumer’s reluctance to upgrade. Unlike with previous OSes from Microsoft, it seems that almost all Vista sales will be for pre-built PCs, rather than enthusiasts buying a copy for the PC they already own.

And enthusiasts won’t buy it because of a simple reason; at this time, there’s no compelling reason to do so. John Carmack, of the id Software fame, said it best recently in an interview with Gameinformer.com where he said, “I suspect I could run XP for a great many more years without having a problem with it.” He concluded by adding, “They’re [Microsoft] really grasping at straws for reasons to upgrade the operating system.”

Source:Windows Vista Arrives with a Thud

Tech Link (Operating System): Microsoft Reveals Downloadable Vista, Office

DailyTech posted that Microsoft* Vista will also be available as a "download" purchase. It actually makes sense, now that high speed broadband seems more affordable, relatively speaking of course. For dial up users, well, I don't think it's a viable option ;). Check it out...

Microsoft will be selling its latest operating system and office suite online for customers to download


Microsoft today detailed three new distribution methods for customers looking to buy, upgrade or license multiple copies of Windows Vista. One such method involves Microsoft selling a copy of its operating system via the Internet for the user to download onto his or her system, marking a first for the software giant.

Microsoft will make Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 available for direct download via Windows Marketplace starting January 30 at suggested retail prices (but without the discs, packaging and manuals of the retail version). Windows Vista editions offered through Windows Marketplace will be available in English only, in either 32-bit or 64-bit versions. Windows Marketplace visitors also can find a wide variety of Windows-compatible hardware and software, including products carrying the Certified for Windows Vista logo.

Microsoft also detailed its Windows Anytime Upgrade program, a new option that allows customers to upgrade their existing edition of Windows Vista to a higher-grade edition by way of an online transaction. For example, if a Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Business user decides he or she wants more capability — perhaps to join his home PCs to secure domains at the office, or to experience the multimedia capabilities of Windows Vista on his work laptop — the user can click on the Windows Anytime Upgrade option in the Start menu, select the desired upgrade edition, purchase it online to secure a new digital key, and then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the upgrade. It was previously revealed that Microsoft would be shipping all versions of Vista on a single DVD, meaning that those who purchase the operating system on DVD will not have to download additional parts of the operating system for the upgrade.

The manufacturer's suggested retail prices to upgrade to more premium editions of Windows Vista are as follows: Home Basic to Home Premium $79, Home Basic to Ultimate $199, Home Premium to Ultimate $159 and Business to Ultimate $139.

The third part of Microsoft’s announcement today reveals a limited-time offer for customers who buy retail copies of Windows Vista Ultimate. From January 30 through June 30, the Windows Vista Family Discount will allow North American customers to license two additional copies of Windows Vista Home Premium for use on other PCs in the home at the reduced price of $49.99 each. Before completing the order online, customers will need to enter one valid full or upgrade Windows Vista Ultimate key from their retail boxed product. After eligibility is verified online, the customer can purchase licenses to install Windows Vista Home Premium on one or two additional Windows-based computers.

"With the consumer launch of Windows Vista so close, we're excited to announce three new ways to make the purchase and upgrade experience easier than ever," said Brad Brooks, general manager of Windows Client Marketing at Microsoft. "These new programs give our customers more flexibility and choice to ensure they get the edition that's right for them."

Source:Microsoft Reveals Downloadable Vista, Office

Tech Link (Operating System): Vista, Office 2007 cracked. Kind of.

Well, this just sucks. Err, I guess for some people it's a blessing but for the honest ones this is just unfair. Hey, it's piracy, stop stealing people's money off some workers at MS!

Microsoft has had a long history of battling against piracy, ever since Bill Gates' Open Letter to Hobbyists in 1976, long before there was even a personal computer software industry to speak of. Now, Microsoft finds itself in its latest piratical engagement, with the recent cracks of Windows Vista and Office 2007, both of which just hit gold release status. Torrents of the cracks are already finding their way around pirate sites.

The crack for Windows Vista (which is called "Vista BillGates") is not a true crack, as it replaces components from the final version of the operating system with those from earlier betas. This allows the would-be pirate to use a product key that worked with Beta 1, Beta 2, RC1, or RC2, with the Gold release of the operating system. This allows the OS to be activated normally over the Internet, but does not bypass the activation system itself. Microsoft had made these earlier betas available to the public on a limited basis.

The other piratical news today is that a copy of the Enterprise edition of Office 2007 was also made available on the 'Net. This version, like other "Corporate" editions of Microsoft products, uses a volume license key (in this case, Volume Activation 1.0) and does not require activation over the Internet.

Of course, Microsoft has methods of fighting back against these latest leaks. The company can push updates through Windows and Office Update that deactivate the pirated copies. As the company did with Windows XP Corporate Editions, Microsoft can invalidate corporate volume license keys that have leaked out at a later date. This latter strategy worked moderately well for Microsoft—at least a few people whose pirated copy of XP had its VLK invalidated did bite the bullet and replace it with a legitimate version. Also, Microsoft can continue their strategy of using Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) to restrict access to certain non-essential updates. Internet Explorer 7 was an example of a product offered only to users who passed WGA.

Microsoft's aim is to make piracy annoying enough that casual users will stop bothering with it, despite the fact that dedicated pirates will still manage to break it again and again. Still, it's clear that the battle between pirates and those who would wish to stop them is far from over.

Source:Vista, Office 2007 cracked. Kind of.

Tech Link (Industry): Microsoft* Internet Explorer 7.0 released for the public

I just got a tip that the newest browser from Microsoft* is now released for the public. I have only tested it before during the early days and my experience wasn't quite good, but hey, blame it on the software being "non production release". Go check it out.

Cut through the clutter.Simple is good. A redesigned, streamlined interface gives you more of what you need and less of what you don't. The new look maximizes the area of the screen that displays the webpage.

Do more by doing less.Open multiple websites in one Internet Explorer window with tabbed browsing. See thumbnail images of all open tabs in a single view. Organize multiple tabs into a single tab group and save it as a favorite.

Print it right the first time.Internet Explorer 7 automatically shrinks text for improved printing , so all webpage content fits on your final printed page. Print options also include adjustable margins, customizable page layouts, removable headers and footers, and changeable print space.

Get news delivered directly to you.Tired of looking for the latest news and information on the web? Internet Explorer 7 can deliver the latest updates from your favorite sites to you. Subscribe to RSS feeds through Internet Explorer 7, and get instant access to personalized sports, news, and shopping feeds that keep you up to date on the latest information online.

Choose multiple search providers.Search the Internet directly from the browser frame using your favorite search provider with the instant search box.

Put safety first.Robust new Internet Explorer 7 architecture and improved security features help protect you against malicious software, and help to keep your personal data safe from fraudulent websites and online phishing scams.

Source:Microsoft* Internet Explorer 7.0 released for the public

Tech Link (Industry): The Insider: Microsoft rolls out Windows Vista, the soft drink

Wow, this one is very interesting, a bit on the funny side. I mean, is it one of those act of supreme fanboyism? Maybe. But it sure is nice to have one, and I'm going to save it. I mean, it's like a special edition softdrink, so I'll keep it somewhere safe and hopeful to retain the thing for as long as I can: antique!

You won't find Windows Vista in stores this year -- but on the Microsoft campus, it's already in the refrigerators.

Special-edition cans of Talking Rain sparkling water, sporting the logo for the upcoming operating system, have been stocked among the other free sodas available to the company's employees. It's a promotion for the preliminary version of the program, pointing employees to an internal Windows Vista site.

Presumably, the actual operating system won't be available in lemon-lime.

Source:The Insider: Microsoft rolls out Windows Vista, the soft drink

Tech Link (Industry): Free music for Xbox Live users

You got to love the freebies in the air. Microsoft* and Epic Records* teamed up to deliver such goodies right at the comfort of your own living room without the fuss. While many will view it as something to get people "addicted" to the service then charging a fee afterwards, the fact can't be discounted that it's being offered totally free for a full year. Now that's a long time of freebie time.
_{Image owned by BitTech}

I always wanted freebies, and this is definitely not only going to cater to XBox fans, but even for those just wanting to jump into the platform. I am thinking sales will pick up because of this, which should be good for Microsoft* and Epic Records. It's a win-win scenario, consumers get the freebies, manufacturers/producers get to do advertising and enlarge their audience coverage. Who wouldn't want to get a free music videos of their favorite artists?

This is extremely exciting, if this becomes succesful, I reckon movie industries may start to offer a similar service. Err, can we say, Intel® Viiv™? Intel® Viiv™ will surely provide that kind of service and more, so Intel® Viiv™ for most of the major Digital Home computing and XBox* for uber gaming.

Xbox 360 gamers will soon be able to enjoy a full year of exclusive artist content and music videos completely free thanks to a deal announced today between Microsoft and Epic Records.

A different artist will be featured each month, starting with our own Natasha Bedingfield, who is currently taking the US by storm with two recent Top 10 hits. She also currently hold the title of Number 1 Most Downloaded Pop Song on iTunes.

"Our goal has always been to make Xbox Live a cutting-edge entertainment experience," said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. "This agreement with Epic Records offers our members exclusive artistic content directly from the source. With Artist of the Month we will be providing exactly what music-loving gamers want: brand-new, exclusive music videos that can be downloaded quickly, easily and free of charge."

"The fusion of music and video games now plays a significant role in breaking artists and enhancing the video game experience; the cross-cultivation of the two mediums helps new games and new artists thrive together," said Charlie Walk, president of Epic Records. "Through this alliance, Epic and Xbox show that we are in one business - exciting young adults and leading them to the art of discovery."

Xbox Live subscribers are now able to download content directly from Xbox Live Marketplace for free, including music videos and exclusive interviews, for the first year. It is not known whether there will be a charge beyond the first trial year.

Of equal concern is storage capacity - the Xbox 360 ships with "only" 20GB of hard drive capacity. This might sound plenty for save games and mini games like Geometry Wars but in this new era of high definition content, it actually isn't all that much. We downloaded the 720p version of Bedingfield's music video last night and it was a mighty 222MB; at just over 4 minutes long, you're looking at nearly one megabyte per second.

Playable demos delivered over Xbox Live, such as Need for Speed: Most Wanted can be up to 500MB each. Add in one's own music collection ripped directly onto the console from audio CD and filling the hard drive doesn't seem that far fetched. Of course, should that happen, one can always add a secondary external hard drive thanks to the on-board USB 2.0 slots.

We want to know your thoughts - will this deal usher in a new wave of rich media that can only enhance the Xbox 360 ownership experience, or is this another cynical move to get users hooked on content, only to then start charging for it? Cast your vote in our News Discussion forum.

Source:Bit-Tech

Tech Link (Operating System): The Eight (8) Flavors of Microsoft* Vista*

Well, I guess this can not be helped as more and more users are using this OS across the globe, and it's clearly that a "One-Size-Fit-All" OS is not the way to go. Even now, there's already five(5) versions of the popular OS being used namely Home Edition*, Professional*, Media Center Edition*, Tablet PC Edition*, and Professional x64 Edition*. All of these are geared towards a broad spectrum of users and usage.

This time around, there are even more flavors. Aside from multitude of user preference and usage practice, other external factors such as government regulations have spawned even more diverse version of operating system. Below are the list of the upcoming versions of Microsoft* Vista*

Windows Starter 2007: Judging from the name, it's not a full-blown Vista* as it lacks the Aero graphics display and works on 32bit platform.

Window Vista Home Basic: Two shipping versions is currently in the roadmap: North American (N) and European (EU) version. This version of Vista*, as the name imply, is the very basic building block for which all other versions will be based on. The EU version will not have a Windows Media Player (and is called Home Basic N*) due to antitrust rulings against Microsoft that do not allow a media player to be included. You may treat it as a Windows* XP Home*....

Windows Vista Home Premium: It's the Home Basic* plus media functionality. The counterpart should be the Media Center Edition*.

Windows Vista Business: It's for the regular power users, and IT guys. Much like the XP Professional Edition* of today. The EU version again will lack the media player.

Windows Vista Enterprise: It's for the uber geek. It's got all the functionalities of Vista Business*, then with support for virtual PC, multi-language UI, and uber encryption technology. On the other hand, the name reminds me of Startrek*, gah...

Windows Vista Ultimate: Wow, Microsoft* fanboyism at its best. Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh. I bet the guy/gal who coined this term over at Microsoft* is now drooling over his/her godlike powers. Who could ever go wrong getting this one? It's supposed to have all the powers and might of all OS versions below, and then more! It's like, a version of OS that can be optimized to the fullest! It's for us super geeks!

Source:WindowsITPro

Press Release: Blueado Mini 5 Series

This is one media center that is not only small, but powerful. The system runs on Microsoft* Windows Media Center* and measures 4.2x7x12 inches. This kind of system is targetted to enhance the consumer's digital entertainment systems. The little machine also boast of very silent computing experience!

The Blueado Mini 5* not only comes with a very sleek design, but it is fully packed with lots of features, namely: 200GB of storage, DVD writer, TV Tuner, Dolby Digital Audio 5.1, USB 2.0, Firewire, and lots of video connectivity like S-Video, DVI, and VGA. I can not find the processor from the Blueado website, but according to I4U, it's an Intel® Pentium® M. I couldn't agree more, after all Intel® Pentium® M Processors are very powerful, quiet, and low power processor that is a perfect fit for such system.

Small and Silent.

The Blueado mini is 4.2 inches tall, just over 7 inches long and 12 inches in depth it's a perfect addition to your livingroom. You'll be able to enjoy watching a great game, or listening to digital audio surround sound from your digital cable box, or DVD without hearing your Blueado humm, that's because it's virtually silent. With all our Blueado’s we focus on design and style, to make sure that you never be distracted by the equipment in the living room.

250 Hours of High Quality Video!

With the m5e you don’t have to worry about running out of space easily. March Madness is coming up, don't miss a game, record the entire playoffs and have room to spare.Even if you aren’t a sports fan the m5e comes with enough space to record the entire season of your favorite television show, and then your next favorite television show, and the show after that. The Blueado m5e will still have enough space for hundreds of pictures, and thousands of MP3’s.

Create your own DVD’s from your favorite TV Shows

The m5e has a built in DVD recorder so you can record your all your favorte TV Shows like you used to do with your VCR. Creating your own DVDs by using just your Blueado Remote is very easy to do. You can even record your home movies to DVD with the Blueado Remote while sitting on your couch by hooking up your video camera. Edit your digital video tapes of your kids, organize them with the m5e, then burn them to DVD to send copies to the grand parents to watch.

Enjoy your Digital Television Signal.

You can send your Digital Cable or Satalite video signal into your Blueado Mini and record your digital tv so you can play watch those shows anytime you want, and when you record a movie with Digital audio you'll be able enjoy that same digital audio when you play back the recored movie, or tv show. The m5e gives you is entertainment you control.

Never-ending entertainment.

With all that power you can sit back and enjoy your Blueado any way you like. For example you can record a TV show while burning a slide show of family summer vacation. How about search for movies by actress while listening to internet radio, and at the same time you are recording a show for the kids to watch later. This flexibility is what gives you complete control of entertainment in a hassle free setting.

Source:Blueado

Tech Link (Operating System): Microsoft Dual Core HotFix

I just got a tip that there's a dual core hotfix from Microsoft*. I personally haven't tested it, but you may want to give it a try. According to Microsoft*, without the hotfix, there will be degradation of performance.

SYMPTOMS
Computers that are equipped with multiple processors that support processor power management features, such as Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) processor performance states, require Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). Additional updates are available to optimize performance and behavior on computers that are running Windows XP SP2. Without these updates, computers that are equipped with these power management-capable, mobile, dual-core processors may experience decreased performance or unexpected behavior

.

Source:Microsoft

Let me know if you notice any improvement.