By Jimmy Daniels
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

Microsoft will soon be pulling the download link for the latest beta of Windows Vista, beta 2, it is scheduled to end today.

In case you weren’t aware, we are only providing a limited number of copies of Windows Vista Beta 2 - either download or physical copies - and we’re fast approaching the cut-off point.

What this means is - if you want to get a copy, get it now (and I mean now). Visit www.microsoft.com/betaexperience/engb and either download or order. Because WE WILL BE WITHDRAWING ACCESS VERY SOON. Did I say that loudly enough?

Here are a few tips:

a) If you’re downloading, make sure you start the download today, even if you interrupt it. You’ll be able to continue your download after the cut-off happens (at least until July 14th, when even that facility will be withdrawn).

b) Make sure you get your product key

c) When you’ve installed it, make sure you activate. We may be able to provide people who have activated copies with future…stuff. I’m being vague because I need to be, just trust me and make sure you activate. Source: Ian Moulster’s blog

We Say: The clock is apparently ticking, start downloading now if you want to make sure you get it.

By Michael Santo
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

You may recall my earlier story about a proposed complete cell phone ban in Lawrence, Kansas. Well, strengthening that proposal, a study by the University of Utah has determined that people who use cell phones while driving, even with a hands-free setup, are as impaired as drivers who are intoxicated.

They studied 40 volunteers who used a driving simulator four times — while undistracted, using a handheld cell phone, using a hands-free cell phone and while intoxicated to a 0.08 percent blood-alcohol level — the average legal level of impairment in the United States — after drinking vodka and orange juice.

Motorists who talked on either handheld or hands-free cell phones drove slightly more slowly, were 9 percent slower to hit the brakes, and varied their speed more than undistracted drivers. Drivers with an 0.08 percent blood-alcohol level drove a bit more slowly than both undistracted drivers and telephone users, yet more aggressively. Source: Reuters

We Say: Based on my own non-scientific study (meaning, while driving), those that I’ve seen driving while gabbing are indeed distracted, tend to drive more unsteadily … and yes, this includes me, even though I use a Bluetooth headset and Voice Command all the time. Most of those I see are using regular phones, however, and they are a lot more distracted than I am. It was interesting that the only people to get into accidents during the simulation were using cell phones. Personally, I think most states will eventually pass laws prohibiting driving without a hands-free setup of some type (including my state, California, which is moving closer to passage of a bill).

By Jimmy Daniels
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

Microsoft is continuing to improve the ability to handle feeds with IE7 beta 3, including update all functions, more ways to mark a feed as read and even posted some keyboard shortcuts. And with some features such as the easy feed discovery, I think feeds are going to become a bigger part of any serious surfers’ life.

Alt + J for Feed Discovery Button – Opens the menu of the discovered feeds on a webpage
Ctrl + J for Feed List Pane – Opens the Feed List Pane in the Favorites Center in a menu mode
Ctrl + Shift + J for Feed List Pane – Opens the Feed List Pane in the Favorites Center in the docked mode
Alt + S for Text Search – Puts the focus in the search box in the Feed Reading View
Alt + I for All Items – Displays all of the feed items in the Feed Reading View
Alt + M for Mark as Read – Toggles the Mark as Read control in the Feed Reading View Source: Microsoft Team RSS Blog

The creators of Firefox call it Live Bookmarks, which is WAY more descriptive than RSS Feeds, for those not familiar with RSS, it is an easy way to see when one of your favorite site updates without actually have to go there and check. For instance, this sites RSS feed is available here, and with IE7, Firefox, or your favorite feed reader, it will be easy to see when this site is updated. How does everyone think the two implementations compare? Do you use a seperate feed reader as well as a browser? More info on the latest beta here, download it here.

Side note: Webmasters, take note, Microsoft has problems with comment spam as well, check it out.

By Michael Santo
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

Alice wrote earlier about the problems some users are having with their MacBooks, and a possible solution. At the time of writing, however, if wasn’t clear if the solution (nail polish remover) worked on MacBooks as well as iBooks. Well, although AppleCare representatives indicate Apple is still investigating, it appears some users have been successful at getting their MacBooks either replaced or repaired.

Nevertheless, the company’s support divisions in some regions have been offering to replace affected MacBook enclosures with few questions asked. Customers are typically sent an Apple case number and the necessary materials to ship their notebooks to Apple’s repair depot. Source: AppleInsider

We Say: Another user went to a retail store and the employee at the store swapped it out for a new one. So, don’t lament silently about your MacBook’s case discoloration … take it and or call a rep … you might get satisfaction sooner than you think!

By Jimmy Daniels
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

A lawsuit that is seeking class action status is claiming that Windows Genuine Advantage anti-piracy tool is spyware, saying that it violates laws against spyware.

The suit by Los Angeles resident Brian Johnson, filed this week in U.S. District Court in Seattle, seeks class-action status for claims that Microsoft didn’t adequately disclose details of the tool when it was delivered to PC users through the company’s Automatic Update system.

Windows Genuine Advantage is designed to check the validity of a computer user’s copy of the operating system. But the tool became a subject of heightened controversy earlier this month, after PC users began noticing that it was making daily contact with Microsoft’s servers without their knowledge, even if their software was valid.

“Microsoft effectively installed the WGA software on consumers’ systems without providing consumers any opportunity to make an informed choice about that software,” the suit alleges. Source: seattlepi via techmeme

We Say: Earlier this week, as posted by Michael, Microsoft released a finished version that does not check in daily. Microsoft should’ve known and they should’ve disclosed properly how the tool worked and what it did, now, not only do they have damage control to worry about, but each time something like this happens, consumers remember and will be more and more cautious of every “new tool” they release to “help us”.

By Michael Santo
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

In what I originally labeled “hilarious” and “ironic”, the Virgin chain of stores in France has been fined for illegal downloading and selling of a Madonna song, “Hung Up.”

The store’s online portal, virginmega.fr, was ordered by the Paris Tribunal de Commerce to pay 600,000 euros, or $754,000, in damages for downloading the Madonna song “Hung Up” from a France Télécom Web site that had exclusive rights to distribute the song for one week.

“This is an amazing case of simple piracy by a respected company,” Hervé Payan, senior vice president for content partnership and service at France Télécom, said Tuesday. “Virgin behaved in a surreal manner by downloading the song, cracking protection measures and then selling it from their own Web site.” Source: Newsfactor

We Say: Why do I say I originally labeled it “x”? Because originally I thought it was a simple mistake, but since the story clearly states they cracked the DRM … Then I thought about the flap between France and Apple over the iTunes DRM. Although the proposed law has essentially been neutered, it was brought up by Laurent Fiscal, a director of the store.

By Michael Santo
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

Responding to criticism of its new WGA Notifications program, Microsoft has made some changes to the software and released a new version. The updated software no longer checks in every time the PC boots. They have also given guidelines to remove the application, which had previously been uninstallable and let to development of such utilities as RemoveWGA.

Interestingly, the new version is said to check “periodically”. Microsoft needs to define periodically for me.

At the same time, however, Ed Bott at ZDNet Blogs has some interesting rumors / speculation about the possible future of WGA. He wonders if, since Microsoft has said to him via email that it may someday make WGA Notifications mandatory, Microsoft may someday use the program to prevent PCs it believes are running pirated software from booting. Naturally, this is all speculation, but it is interesting food for thought.

I have 7 PCs and laptops, all with legitimate OSes, but I also know software. There are bugs in all software. And there have already been reports on WGA issues on legitimately licensed PCs.

More info here.

By Chief Gadgeteer, Gizmos for Geeks
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews.

I find it amusing, sad, incredible and simply a bit of a headscratcher that the companies involved in giving birth to the next generation of the DVD format are about to repeat history. The silly, relatively recent history that is the VHS vs Betamax format war. On the other hand, they could very well be aware of it and are thinking that their product is superior and will prevail in the long run. Unfortunately, for us consumers, this just means that we will end up having to swap out equipment a few times before the dust settles. Perhaps this is the price we pay for technological improvements. I would really like to see the companies just get together and agree to put out a common standard for the sake of consumers. Luckily, there is one glimmer of hope in the form of Toshiba, who would like to see a unified format for DVDs. The reality is that this may not happen and Samsung has as much admitted to this as they are mulling over a potential DVD player that supports both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats.

Source: Gizmos for Geeks.