Hasta La Gadget!

This article was written on January 24, 2007 by CyberNet.

As Microsoft continues their battle with Piracy, they have disclosed that one in five, or 22% of Windows installations are not genuine. Surprised? WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) started back in July of 2005 and has given Microsoft a good idea of how many people are using counterfeit copies.  They have validated 512 million PCs since WGA was started, and along with those 114 million copies that were counterfeit, an additional 56,000 users have gone to Microsoft to report that they were using a copy that wasn’t legitimate. Microsoft’s policy in that situation is to give the user a free replacement copy of Windows. WGA as many of you know, requires users to validate their operating system before they are able to get updates.

With Vista and Office release dates just around the corner, Microsoft is stepping up their effort to put a stop to piracy that costs them a lot in lost revenue!  Their new campaign is called Genuine Fact Files, and they’re turning to comic strips to help them out.  These black and white comics show the evils of software piracy, and have already been displayed in Italy, France, Indonesia, Australia, The United Arab Emirates, Brazil, and the UK. They’ll be appearing in the US shortly. I haven’t been able to come up with a version in English yet, but just for the sake of seeing what it look like, one version is pictured below.

Microsoft is also hoping that their online “Test Drive” for Windows Vista, and the preview for Office 2007 will be enough to satisfy those who want to try out the operating system before buying. Sometimes that excuse is the reason for using a pirated copy of software.

Piracy is by no means a new thing in the software industry.  In fact, here’s a video that the Software Publisher Association put out back in 1992 with their anti-software piracy campaign called “Don’t Copy that Floppy.” There’s no need for me to explain, just watch…

Returning to Vista, in case you’re thinking about purchasing the OEM version of Vista, the picture below shows what you’ll get.  It’s the same ole’ Vista minus the fancy packaging.  Remember, typically when you purchase the OEM version, you must purchase hardware along side of it.  This is because OEM is licensed for new computer purchases only.

Thanks to one of our readers, Jim Lester for snapping pictures after opening! He has more pictures here if you’re curios what to expect when buying Vista licensed for OEM distribution.

News Source: BetaNews

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Pure gimmickry, but undoubtedly beautiful. And despite its name, the Levitatr ships with all vowels intact

James Stumpf dreamed of an iPad with physical keys which would rise, magically, from the glass itself. Of course, this is a ridiculous dream, but that didn’t stop James from striving to make it real. The result is the Levitatr, a sleek slab of aluminum and polycarbonate from which — you guessed it — the keys magically rise.

The $80 keyboard (currently seeking funding on Kickstarter) is activated by pressing down a knobbly button on one side. This pops up the keys which were previously flush with the surface. Two more buttons — one for power and one to connect via Bluetooth — are hidden around back, and there’s a fold-out kickstand to hold the iPad at the appropriate angle.

The only problem I see is that it’s thick, at 9.8mm (0.4 inches). That only makes it a little bit smaller than Apple’s own aluminum keyboard inside a case.

Still, it’s neat-looking, and James has hopes for this to be incorporated into the screen of an actual tablet in the future. Although that sounds pretty difficult, if he can crack it, then he might genuinely be onto something that would differentiate a tablet from the iPad.

Levitatr: A keyboard with elevating keys for iPad, Tablets [Kickstarter]

See Also:

• Fat, Folding Logitech Keyboard Case for Slim iPad 2
• Writer, an iPad Keyboard Case for Pros
• Clever Stand Clamps Keyboard to iPhone, iPad
• ZAGGfolio for iPad: Great Keyboard, So-So Case

A pair of non-electric Bromptons, packed for a flight. Photo Todd Fahrner/Flickr

Oh, man. First Bob Dylan went electric, and now Brompton. The London-based folding bike maker has at last revealed the truth behind its long (and somewhat tedious) “Project X” teaser campaign: An eBrompton.

The information is still just dribbling from the company, though. Little more has been revealed than that the bike will have a small electric motor, and that this motor won’t interfere with the legendary “fold,” which makes the Brompton one of the smallest bikes around when packed down. The new e-bike will go on sale in the UK and Germany next year, and the rest of the world will follow in 2013.

One thing is pretty certain, though: a motor will add weight. When riding a Brompton, it’s 9-12.5kg (20-28 pound) weight is light enough, but when you have to carry the folded package up five flights of stairs (as I do most days) it starts to feel a little heavy. Then again, I guess anyone frail enough to be buying an electric bike probably lives in a building with an elevator.

Weight issues aside, I’m excited to find out how the eBrompton will work. The now classic status of the original often hides the innovation of its design. I hope the electric version is similarly clever.

eBrompton announced by West London biker maker [Road.cc]

See Also:

• Brompton
• Review: Brompton M6L Folding Bicycle

The DNP-720AE has been hanging around at trade shows for a while, but it’s only just been tagged up with a price. And boy, what a price: £429 ($660) for a stereo box that snatches AirPlay, DLNA, Internet radio, Napster and Last.fm off your WiFi or wired network and outputs to your amp. Sure, it packs a decent 24-bit DAC and will no doubt deliver that sweet Denon sound when added to your stack — but if you don’t already own a bunch of same-brand components then there’s plenty of alternatives to consider. To pick a random example, even the ancient and infinitely cheaper Logitech Squeezebox Duet has similar functionality, without AirPlay or DLNA specifically but with basic iTunes compatibility and Spotify too. You could put those savings towards a networked AV receiver instead.

Denon DNP-720AE does network audio and not much else for $660 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 05:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor ’round the Twitterverse has it that Amtrak may finally be implementing free WiFi on October 1st — finally seeing the bet laid down by various plane and bus companies over the past couple years. The casual conversation between conductor and passenger yielded the information that the system is finally ready to extend beyond Acela, apparently “ready to roll and it’s just a matter of ‘flipping the on switch.'” This comes as great news for commuters who spend their mornings and evenings stuck on slow, old, often curious smelling Regional trains. Unfortunately, other than the tweet, there’s no word (official or otherwise) whether net surfage will be possible beginning next month. Regardless, looks like the “I didn’t have internet access” excuse is still valid for a little while longer for all you nine to fivers.

Update: To be clear: Amtrak Acela trains by and large already have WiFi, as do some regional trains in the Northwest. This latest addition would be for Northeast Regional trains.

[Thanks, @melanierenzulli]

Amtrak to finally launch free WiFi for regional trains on October 1st? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 04:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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