Microsoft is Embracing Big-Brother

Microsoft is watching you. Next time you automatically update your computer, you may get more than you anticipated. In Microsoft’s Windows XP and Vista, there has been a security feature utilized by the big company for a while now, however it was just recently that they upgraded it to be more intrusive than before. The target? China, for now.

Countless amounts of people in China are heated about the Microsoft update that detects whether they’re using knock-off or pirated operating systems. If they are not using a legit operating system it will turn their desktop black and display a warning message. It does not seem to effect the operating system’s performance in any way, and you can override the black screen, but it will reappear every hour.

Microsoft decided to start cracking down on the pirated software in China, specifically because there is such a high percentage of people using “free” versions. The people of China complain that Microsoft’s prices are too high for them to afford, so they resort to alternatives. Cheaper knock-off versions can be obtained for around 2 American dollars, or simply found for free. Why not get the cheaper version if it is readily available for the consumers?

Legality issues are certainly obvious here, but how far is too far? Microsoft says it’s within China’s laws on this one, but does that mean it’s right? Microsoft having eyes watching your every move, is a little too Big-Brother for many.

Helpful Firefox Add-ons

Make life easier? Computer users have a diverse array of needs and/or wants when using their computers according to what they do. Whether they are relaxing and uploading pictures to their Flickr account, or they are web designers in a fast-paced company, Firefox Add-ons can make all of these tasks easier.

Browsing the internet, finding images you like, and uploading them to Flickr has gotten easier! Uploadr for Flickr will come in quite handy if you like to add web images occasionally or even frequently to your Flickr account. Just make sure you’re logged into your Flickr account after you’ve installed it and restarted your Firefox browser, and you’re ready to go.

Web designers can surely utilize Web Developer, a multifunctional, easy to use Add-on that allows you to locate, view and edit codes within webpages (and so much more). If you’re a web designer, this will make your life a little easier. You may not mind editing your stylesheet one code at a time to see what went wrong, re-uploading it to your server, and doing it again when you find out that wasn’t what you wanted to change in the first place… but this will eliminate some steps. You can not only view the CSS for a page, within the page, but you can also edit it while viewing it, which reloads as you change the code. Pretty snazzy.

New Sony eBook Reader

Sony will soon release a new eBook Reader, the PRS-700. It is certainly a step up from the previous models, with more speed, a touch screen and LED lighting. This new Reader will surely encourage more traffic and sales for The eBook Store by Sony, but will some buyers be discouraged?

Read more