Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Microsoft axes Office Genuine Advantage, says program has 'served its purpose']]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/21/microsoft-axes-office-genuine-advantage-says-program-has-serve/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/21/microsoft-axes-office-genuine-advantage-says-program-has-serve/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/21/microsoft-axes-office-genuine-advantage-says-program-has-serve/#comments It's not offering any indication that Windows Genuine Advantage will follow suit, but Microsoft has just made the rather surprising move of shutting down its longstanding Office Genuine Advantage program. As with Windows Genuine Advantage, that program was designed to combat piracy and, as any Office user can no doubt attest, it wasn't shy to make its presence known -- warnings like the one above popped up when downloading templates from Office.com, for instance. Why the change? Microsoft isn't exactly offering too many details, with a spokesperson only going as far to say that the program has "served its purpose," and that Microsoft is "making several new investments that will allow us to engage with customers and help victims of fraud." In the meantime, however, it looks like you can now simply go about your business without a warning to be found.

Microsoft axes Office Genuine Advantage, says program has 'served its purpose' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 05:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anti piracyAntiPiracymicrosoftmicrosoft officeMicrosoftOfficeofficeOffice Genuine AdvantageOfficeGenuineAdvantageogapiracywgawindows genuine advantageWindowsGenuineAdvantageTue, 21 Dec 2010 05:39:00 EST<![CDATA[Windows 7 Release Candidate starts bi-hourly hiccups today, seemingly affects nobody]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/01/windows-7-release-candidate-starts-bi-hourly-hiccups-today-seem/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/01/windows-7-release-candidate-starts-bi-hourly-hiccups-today-seem/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/01/windows-7-release-candidate-starts-bi-hourly-hiccups-today-seem/#commentsWell here's an interesting one: starting today, users of the legendary Windows 7 Release Candidate should "begin experiencing bi-hourly shutdowns," yet we haven't received a single tip on this annoying "feature." We have only two assumptions: either our faithful readers have already moved on to the real thing, or you sly devils are on a hacked RC of some sort. In any event, you've got until June 1st to do a full reinstall (no upgrade options on RC, sadly), after which you'll be blocked from important updates and persistently bugged by a "This copy of Windows is not genuine" notice. Need more arm-twisting? Just picture Steve Ballmer hunting you down with a sledgehammer.

Windows 7 Release Candidate starts bi-hourly hiccups today, seemingly affects nobody originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>7100auto shutdownAutoShutdownmicrosoftshutdownterminationwgawindowswindows 7windows 7 build 7100Windows 7 RCwindows 7 rc 7100windows 7 rc1windows 7 release candidatewindows genuine advantageWindows7Windows7Build7100Windows7RcWindows7Rc1Windows7Rc7100Windows7ReleaseCandidateWindowsGenuineAdvantageMon, 01 Mar 2010 21:49:00 EST<![CDATA[Judge throws out Microsoft WGA spyware case]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/judge-throws-out-microsoft-wga-spyware-case/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/judge-throws-out-microsoft-wga-spyware-case/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/judge-throws-out-microsoft-wga-spyware-case/#commentsWindows Genuine Advantage software might be many things (annoying and by no means error-free, to name but two) but it ain't spyware -- at least according to a judge in the District Court for the Western District of Washington, who dismissed the lawsuit that we first caught wind of back in '06. The news comes a month after the plaintiffs failed to have the suit certified as a class action, which is never a good sign -- and which bears out Microsoft's assertion that the case is "fictional" and from an "alternate universe." Zing! Both parties are being mum on the subject of any settlement that might have been reached, but if it were us we'd have at least held out for one of those world famous Windows 7 Whoppers.

Judge throws out Microsoft WGA spyware case originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brian johnsonBrianJohnsonjim deslerJimDeslerlawsuitmiicrosoftpiracyscott kamberScottKambersecurityspywarewgawindows genuine advantageWindowsGenuineAdvantageThu, 11 Feb 2010 16:51:00 EST<![CDATA[Windows 7 runs free without activation for 120 days with simple command]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/21/windows-7-runs-free-without-activation-for-120-days-with-simple/http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/21/windows-7-runs-free-without-activation-for-120-days-with-simple/http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/21/windows-7-runs-free-without-activation-for-120-days-with-simple/#commentsWe know how it is: you've paid $300 for your brand new copy of Windows 7, but what a hassle to enter in that activation code! Well, you don't have to worry about it now for a good four months after install: Microsoft has given its sort-of blessing to a simple hack to keep that non-activated copy of Windows 7 humming for a full 120 days before full-on nag mode sets in. All you have to do is enter "slmgr -rearm" into the command prompt at the end of every 30 day period, and your copy of Windows gets a whole new lease on life -- an action that can be repeated three times. The same command is available to Vista users, and we have to say that Microsoft has come a very long way since its unforgiving WGA kill switch days.

[Via Telegraph]

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Windows 7 runs free without activation for 120 days with simple command originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activationkill switchKillSwitchmicrosoftvistawgawindowswindows 7windows activationWindows7WindowsActivationFri, 21 Aug 2009 10:10:00 EST<![CDATA[How big is the streaming pie?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/how-big-is-the-streaming-pie/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/how-big-is-the-streaming-pie/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/how-big-is-the-streaming-pie/#commentsHow big is the streaming pieWith the WGA strike seeming like a distant memory (two weeks old), it's a good time to examine what the fight was over online streaming. The resulting agreement grants residuals to the writers for content streamed more than 17-days after the on-air showing, and first year shows get treated to a 24-day window. Those are some pretty favorable terms for the studios, if you ask us. Real-life analysts seem to agree, estimating that online video ad spending will swell from $1.3 billion in 2006 to $7 billion by 2012. Those online ads are prime real estate, too -- "brand recall" from them is way above that seen for broadcast TV. If "brand recall" figures like 60-percent for online video ads versus single-digits for conventional TV hold up, expect to see another WGA uprising in the future. Until then, keep these figures in mind when TV studios decry internet video as a deathknell.

[Image courtesy Today's Real Estate]

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How big is the streaming pie? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Accustream MediaAccustreamMediaForresterhdinternetonlineStarcom USAStarcomUsastreamingWGAFri, 29 Feb 2008 20:35:00 EST<![CDATA[The WGA strike is over, when are our favorite TV shows returning?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/13/the-wga-strike-is-over-when-are-our-favorite-tv-shows-returning/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/13/the-wga-strike-is-over-when-are-our-favorite-tv-shows-returning/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/13/the-wga-strike-is-over-when-are-our-favorite-tv-shows-returning/#commentsThat's right, the dark period is over. The Writer's Guild has ended its strike, and now we can look forward to some of our favorite shows to watch on our HDTVs coming back sooner, later, or not at all. Thanks to our friends over at TV Squad, we've found a pretty comprehensive list at TV Guide, but here's a few of the ones we're looking forward to:
  • Sooner (March/April/May): House, Grey's Anatomy, My Name is Earl, The Office, ER, all the CSI's, One Tree Hill, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Smallville
  • Later (Fall '08 - 2009): 24, Chuck, Heroes, Life, Pushing Daisies
  • Not at all: Big Shots, Bionic Woman, Journeyman, Life is Wild
[Via TV Squad]

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The WGA strike is over, when are our favorite TV shows returning? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hdnew contentnewcontentprimetimestrikestrike is overStrikeIsOvertvwgawga strikeWgaStrikeWed, 13 Feb 2008 10:12:00 EST<![CDATA[The writers strike is in full effect]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/10/the-writers-strike-is-in-full-effect/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/10/the-writers-strike-is-in-full-effect/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/10/the-writers-strike-is-in-full-effect/#commentsIn case you haven't noticed, most of the best HD shows are in reruns. December is usually a month of reruns, but we've already seen an alternative season finale to Heroes, and in January when we'd normally expect to see our favorite shows come back, you can expect to see more reruns and more reality TV. There are some of our favorites that have some episodes left, like eight episodes of Lost, nine episodes of Medium, ten episodes of Battlestar Galatica, and seven episodes of Jerico. But others like the Office, Heroes, and Big Bang Theory are already out. Hopefully, the writers will get compensation for downloads before the remaining shows run out, and if not at least we'll have more time to watch all those HD DVD and Blu-ray discs.

[Via ZatzNotFunny]

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The writers strike is in full effect originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Battlestar GalacticaBattlestarGalacticacablefiberhdHereosLostMediumotasatelliteWGAWGA strikeWgaStrikeMon, 10 Dec 2007 09:12:00 EST<![CDATA[Vista SP1 kills the WGA kill switch]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/04/vista-sp1-kills-the-wga-kill-switch/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/04/vista-sp1-kills-the-wga-kill-switch/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/04/vista-sp1-kills-the-wga-kill-switch/#comments
Microsoft's anti-piracy system known (and loathed) as Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) is set to lose its bite. When Vista SP1 launches in early 2008, WGA will still identify -- ad-nauseam -- what it thinks to be non-legal copies of Vista. However, it will lose its ability to disable said systems. The change was announced in a presentation by WGA senior product manger, Alex Kochis, who said, "Based on customer feedback, we will not reduce user functionality on systems determined to be non-genuine." That should bring a swift end to WGA customer complaints related to false-positives, spyware concerns, or server glitches. Score one point for law-abiding citizens everywhere.

[Via ZDNET, thanks Daniel S.]

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Vista SP1 kills the WGA kill switch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Dec 2007 05:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Alex KochisAlexKochisbreaking newsBreakingNewsmicrosoftsp1vistavista sp1VistaSp1wgawindowsTue, 04 Dec 2007 05:32:00 EST<![CDATA[The writers' strike effect on HD programming]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/06/the-writers-strike-affect-on-hd-programming/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/06/the-writers-strike-affect-on-hd-programming/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/06/the-writers-strike-affect-on-hd-programming/#commentsLostThe ability for a group to go on strike is a fundamental right in American, and while we don't really understand what the problem is -- we'd assume the writers want more money -- we do know we're going to miss out on some HD programming. The first shows to feel the pinch are the live shows like Leno and SNL, next up is the scripted shows which mostly seem to have about 9 episodes under their belt. Luckily some HD programming is resilient like sports and reality TV -- not that there's much HD. At this point it's hard to know how long the strike will last, but if it lasts more than a few months, at least we'll finally be able to catch up on all those HD movies we've been meaning to watch. Here's a short list of our favorite shows that will go into reruns if this thing doesn't end before too long.

Heroes - Seasons will end early on Dec 3rd
Lost - Expected to have eight out of 16 episodes ready.
Medium - Will have 9 of 22 episodes completed.
Battlestar Galactica - Has 10 hours of episodes, plus a two hour movie to air this Fall.

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The writers' strike effect on HD programming originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Nov 2007 10:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Battlestar GalacticaBattlestarGalacticahdHereosLostMediumprimetimesportsWGAWGA strikeWgaStrikeTue, 06 Nov 2007 10:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft says WGA outage affected less than 12,000 systems]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/28/microsoft-says-wga-outage-affected-less-than-12-000-systems/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/28/microsoft-says-wga-outage-affected-less-than-12-000-systems/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/28/microsoft-says-wga-outage-affected-less-than-12-000-systems/#comments
With Microsoft's WGA servers patched up after last week's outage, the company now appears to be willing to get a bit more specific about the situation and the damages done. In a post on the official Windows Genuine Advantage blog, Microsoft's Alex Kochis revealed that " fewer than 12,000 systems were affected worldwide" and that "many of those have already revalidated and are fixed." As for how the situation arose, it seems that Microsoft was in the dark initially, first learning of it "through a combination of posts to our forum and customer support." Curious about the matter, Ars Technica asked Microsoft for more information about the outage and why no backup had been put in place, but was apparently told by a spokesperson that "Microsoft is still determining the answer to these questions."

[Via Ars Technica]

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Microsoft says WGA outage affected less than 12,000 systems originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2007 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftwgawindowswindows genuine advantageWindowsGenuineAdvantageTue, 28 Aug 2007 15:22:00 EST<![CDATA[Vista activation "more an irritation to legit users than an antipiracy measure"]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/18/vista-activation-more-an-irritation-to-legit-users-than-an-anti/http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/18/vista-activation-more-an-irritation-to-legit-users-than-an-anti/http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/18/vista-activation-more-an-irritation-to-legit-users-than-an-anti/#commentsThose are the words of Brian Livingstone, a renowned expert on the inner working of Microsoft Windows: in a post on WindowsSecrets.com, he exposes a backdoor route around activation which effectively destroys activation as an antipiracy measure. That, in and of itself, isn't a particularly surprising development (we've already seen two exploits that skip or bypass activation); no, the real story is the fact that the exploit was created by Microsoft itself. The "SkipRearm" process involves some simple editing of Registry files that can "extend the activation deadline of Vista indefinitely." This backdoor around WGA was created to help corporations keep machines working whilst they work under the heavy burden of prepping systems for Vista activation. If they can't do it within Vista's 30 day grace period, they can postpone activation by 30 days up to three times using the "sysprep /generalize" command: SkipRearm can be executed indefinitely. Specifically, Microsoft documentation says "Microsoft recommends that you use the SkipRearm setting if you plan on running Sysprep multiple times on a computer." Now that Windows Activation could potentially help pirates as well as annoy legitimate Windows owners, it's hard to see how Microsoft will be able to continue to justify using this ineffective, draconian system.

[Via ComputerWorld, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Vista activation "more an irritation to legit users than an antipiracy measure" originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Mar 2007 14:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ActivationHackModSkipRearmVistaWGAWindows VistaWindowsVistaSun, 18 Mar 2007 14:37:00 EST<![CDATA[Vista activation crack #2 auto-renews the 30 day grace period]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/10/vista-activation-crack-2-auto-renews-the-30-day-grace-period/http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/10/vista-activation-crack-2-auto-renews-the-30-day-grace-period/http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/10/vista-activation-crack-2-auto-renews-the-30-day-grace-period/#commentsStrike three two for Vista's product activation system: the latest Vista activation workaround is called "Timerstop t2a" which works by automatically renewing the 30 day grace period before the user has to "activate" their presumably legit copy of Windows. Besides the obviously malicious undertone to these kind of utilities, we're certain that there are a whole lot of legitimate Vista owners out there that would prefer to go through this admittedly complex process rather than attempt the normal activation procedure. Just like with DRM, anti-piracy PSAs before movies, and heck, even excessive surveillance, innocent people tend not to like it when they're treated as suspects. The lesson for Microsoft is that when people want to pirate software, they will: even in the face of increasingly complex activation systems. A pity then that Redmond's fired up photocopiers technically can't copy a function that -- purposely -- doesn't exist in Mac OS X.

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Vista activation crack #2 auto-renews the 30 day grace period originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Mar 2007 18:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ActivationbypasscrackVistaWGASat, 10 Mar 2007 18:39:00 EST<![CDATA[Another Vista activation bypass: for reals this time?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/04/another-vista-activation-bypass-for-reals-this-time/http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/04/another-vista-activation-bypass-for-reals-this-time/http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/04/another-vista-activation-bypass-for-reals-this-time/#commentsConsidering that as recently as a couple of days ago lots of people (including us) were potentially duped into believing that someone had created a keygen utility that churned out working serial numbers for Windows Vista, you'll forgive us for being a little hesitant to recommend the latest Vista crack on the block. Apparently the result of a combined effort by an application cracking group called "Paradox," the utility is actually a "BIOS Emulation Toolkit" that skips the activation process entirely. As always, these kind of programs are an extremely gray area, so we're not going to maintain any illusions here: this utility will be used by individuals to pirate copies of Vista. That said, these kinds of hacks -- if this one actually works -- does a service by pointing out the ineffectiveness of "activation," a process which has caused an enormous amount of annoyance to a lot of consumers that have purchased software legally. Just like every other form of piracy prevention, the only people that really suffer in the end are the innocent users stuck in the middle.

[Via digg]

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Another Vista activation bypass: for reals this time? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Mar 2007 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CrackHackMicrosoftMicrosoft Windows VistaMicrosoftWindowsVistaParadoxVistaWGAWindows VistaWindowsVistaSun, 04 Mar 2007 13:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Lawsuit claims Microsoft's WGA tool is spyware]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/30/lawsuit-claims-microsofts-wga-tool-is-spyware/http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/30/lawsuit-claims-microsofts-wga-tool-is-spyware/http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/30/lawsuit-claims-microsofts-wga-tool-is-spyware/#commentsYou've probably noticed that the Internet's been buzzing lately about Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage anti-piracy software that up until recently was "phoning home" user info every day, and now one Brian Johnson of Los Angeles has turned the issue into a legal matter by filing suit against Redmond in U.S. District Court in Seattle. Johnson's attorney Scott Kamber -- who also represented consumers in that class-action suit regarding the Sony rootkit debacle -- is arguing that a recent version of the WGA package, which was rather inconspicuously pushed to users' computers as part of a security update, fits the legal definition of "spyware" because its existence and purpose weren't plainly disclosed to consumers. Microsoft spokesperson Jim Desler counters this argument by pointing out that the WGA tool is not malicious in nature -- which presumably distinguishes it from the "bad spyware" -- and that the "real issue" here is the "industry-wide problem" of software piracy. Still, Microsoft changed the latest version of the tool by beefing up the licensing agreement and eliminating those daily status reports, so even though Desler calls the suit "baseless," we wouldn't be surprised if Johnson ends up with some hush money to prevent the negative publicity that a trial would surely bring.

[Via Slashdot]

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Lawsuit claims Microsoft's WGA tool is spyware originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Jun 2006 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brian johnsonBrianJohnsonjim deslerJimDeslerlawsuitmiicrosoftpiracyscott kamberScottKambersecurityspywarewgawindows genuine advantageWindowsGenuineAdvantageFri, 30 Jun 2006 11:55:00 EST