Hasta La Gadget!

So how do you catch a software pirate? Although the investigation is now more than two years old, Microsoft has provided some clues.

In 2007, Microsoft and the FBI, working with Chinese law enforcement, raided a software piracy organization suspected of copying software worth about $2 billion on the open market. “We estimate that one out of every three pieces of software in the world today is not genuine, ” said David Finn, Microsoft’s associate general counsel for worldwide anti-piracy and anti-counterfeiting, says in the video linked above.

But how do they catch them?  One technique, apparently, is to look for a “fingerprint” on the burned CD-ROMs. According to the video, CD (and, we assume DVD) burners leave a fingerprint, or unique identifying marks, that can be used to determine the source of a burned (and, in this case, pirated) disc.

Holograms, bar codes, and product ID numbers also provide additional protection.

EDIT: Apparently our publishing software is having some problems with the video’s iFrame. The video can be found on Microsoft’s site, here.

The strategy game that challenges you to take over the galaxy translates well to the iPad. HD graphics and challenging gameplay make this title a easy choice for strategy game fans. pOriginally posted at a href=”http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-31747_7-20003119-243.html” class=”origPostedBlog”iPad Atlas/a/p

Alright, Devour users, we know the very first thing you want to know is whether this is Android 2.1 we’re dealing with here — and sadly, the answer to that is a forlorn “no.” That said, it looks like this update is going to tidy up a whole bunch of stuff for you with improved call performance, better UI response time, stability enhancements, a handful of minor email tweaks, better audio over headsets, and updated Google apps. As usual, Verizon and Motorola are rolling out this OTA in phases, so if you haven’t gotten it yet, just hang tight and see what the Firmware Fairy brings you over the next few days.

Motorola Devour graced with update, bug fixes are the main story originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You might think that underwear, of all things, would be least susceptible to our tendency to gadgetize absolutely everything around us.

Guess again: A few courageous entrepreneurs have come up with a gaggle of garments — call them undie upgrades — that combine tech and tighty whities.

From coping with global warming to protecting against radiation to maintaining proper hygiene, these are some of our favorite geeky undergarments.

What’s your verdict: Useful or ridiculous? Or do you have your own favorite geeky underwear concepts? Let us know in the comments!

Above: While scientists and politicians bicker about climate change, responsible consumers have altered their habits to cut down on waste and greenhouse gases. But are they prepared to insert heated pads into their cups to ward off nippy conditions?

Utility companies in Japan initiated a conservation effort during 2005, aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Thermostats were kept at 68 degrees and citizens asked to dress more warmly at home and work. Triumph International collaborated by introducing the Warm Biz Bra which contains two reheatable gelatinous pouches. The chili bangle adornment located between the two cups lights up when a comfortable temperature is achieved.

Unfortunately, there are no statistics on how much electricity is used by microwaving bra pouches.

NVIDIA’s next generation Ion platform was announced back in early March, so naturally we’ve been wondering where all the souped-up netbooks based on the tech have been hiding. We wish we had better news, but it looks like the wait will have to go on a little while longer. While NVIDIA claims no delay on its end, ASUS and Acer have confirmed that their respective Ion 2 netbooks will not arrive until the end of May or even as late as the beginning of June in the US. The 12-inch ASUS 1201PN, which packs a dual-core Atom processor and a 16-core Ion chip, is set to hit Europe and Asia in mid to late May and will make its US debut in June. Similarly, Acer’s 10-inch Aspire One 532G is planned to be released around Computex in early June. We just have a feeling there will be some more joining the Ion 2 netbook brigade in the interim, but it’s looking like we’ll just have to kick off the summer with another Ion showdown.

NVIDIA Ion 2 Acer and ASUS netbooks won’t ship until late May originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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