By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews

Have you taken a look at AT&T’s Terms of Service for High-Speed Internet (HSI) lately? Some changes they’ve made are downright draconian. In the section labeled “5.1 Suspension/Termination,” AT&T says the normal stuff about lack of payment and so forth. But clause (c) says they can terminate your service for conduct that AT&T believes:

(c) tends to damage the name or reputation of AT&T, or its parents, affiliates and subsidiaries. Source: AT&T Terms of Service

We Say: So basically if I had AT&T service, I couldn’t write this blog entry because it’s critical of them. Fortunately I have Comcast HSI service. Of course, Comcast has that “limited unlimited” service clause which they refuse to detail.

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews

While Microsoft said the “stealth install” of updated Windows update files — even when users had disabled automatic updating — which we wrote about earlier, was harmless, it turns out it wasn’t quite that simple. For XP users, if you happened to do a “repair” using a repair CD, you would no longer be able to use Windows update … period.

The basic reason for this was that the aforementioned stealth update replaced certain Windows update files. When a repair is done, that file is replaced, and Windows Update is no longer able to function. Nate Clinton, program manager for Windows Update, said on the Windows Update blog:

Here’s what we found: when an XP repair CD is used, it replaces all system files (including Windows Update) on your machine with older versions of those files and restores the registry. However, the latest version of Windows Update includes wups2.dll that was not originally present in Windows XP. Therefore, after the repair install of the OS, wups2.dll remains on the system but its registry entries are missing. This mismatch causes updates to fail installation.

I was confused at first, but what he means is the registry entries for the new wups2.dll are missing — I think. BTW, this is the same Nate Clinton who initially said the stealth update was harmless. I’m being a little harsh here; it’s really the combination of the update and the repair that cause the issue.

How do you fix it? There’s a Microsoft KB article on it, KB943144. Unfortunately, while people like you and I won’t have issues with the procedure, it’s certainly nothing most users would be comfortable with. More

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews

Apple warned that some hacked iPhones would become bricked (specificially, a bricked device is only useful as a brick or doorstop — it does not mean recoverable data loss) with the latest update (1.1.1) which was released yesterday. Indeed, some hacked phones have been bricked. But now some reports have emerged of locked, pristine iPhones being bricked.

A search of the posts on the iPhone support forum shows that some of these reports are false, meaning that what actually happened was that all the data on the device was wiped. Recommended practice would be to backup your iPhone (or any device) before a software update. On the other hand, this is a definite annoyance, and something I would not expect from Apple, with their normally good quality control.

Additionally, there are some posts related to actual bricking (examples here and here). In some cases the phone won’t boot; in other cases the phone won’t accept a perfectly good SIM, and an exchange of SIM doesn’t seem to fix it. It’s also amusing that in many of the posts, the immediate response from other forum users is “don’t hack the phone.” Obviously people are jumping to conclusions (perhaps like the iPhone updater? )

We Say: Just a glance at the support forums shows a lot of anger. There’s also the question of whether or not Apple is overstepping its bounds by bricking phones. IMHO, I believe all phone should be unlocked, particularly when you spend as much money as you do on an iPhone. However, I’m sure Steve Jobs and AT&T would disagree. What about you readers?

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews

While Google clearly dominates search, it’s Yahoo! that gets the most clicks, according to a study released this week by Compete, Inc., a site with a vested interest in search analytics, as it says on its site, “Compete’s Search Analytics are the starting point to build search marketing campaigns that create brand awareness, drive site traffic and increase sales.”

The report determined that Yahoo! did the best at “search fulfillment,” which is when the results of a search are clicked on, resulting in a “referral.” About 75% of searches performed on Yahoo! in August resulted in a referral. On the other hand, searches on Google resulted in a referral about 65% of the time while MSN searches resulted in a referral about 59% of the time.

We Say: Based on this, while Google just kills everyone else in terms of search engine share, Yahoo! is more satisfying to its users. ‘Course, that’s not going to make me start using Yahoo! search.

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews

When Microsoft launched Windows Vista, it said that Windows XP sales would be halted on January 30th of 2008. Since then, however, it’s become evident that Windows XP is still in demand, as evidenced by the continued sales of the OS by OEM vendors such as Dell and others.

Now Microsoft has decided to extend Windows XP sales through the end of June 2008, in response to feedback from computer manufacturers.

At the same time, Microsoft also said it plans to extend sales of the most basic Windows XP Starter Edition for very low cost computers in emerging markets until June 30, 2010. That edition was previously scheduled to phase out in January 2008 also.

We Say: Let’s face it, there are still far too many incompatible programs, missing drivers, etc. etc. It’s no wonder consumers still want the ability to choose XP — and manufacturers aren’t blind to that.

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews

Palm has been struggling, but with the introduction of this new phone, they hope that an inexpensive PalmOS phone can make a real impact in the market.

Hoping to entice consumers looking for a low-cost upgrade, Palm has priced the new “Centro,” a smaller and lighter version of its Treo smartphone, to sell for about $100.

Both devices feature a full keyboard, touch screen, and the ability to read and send e-mail or manage documents and spreadsheets.

The Centro weighs only 4.2 ounces and is a bit bigger than a credit card. It will sell exclusively through Sprint Nextel Corp for the rest of the year in the United States. Source: Reuters

We Say: I’ve seen this device close-up … and used it. It’s not as small as Reuters makes it out to be, but it is quite small, especially compared to other Palm devices. It feels much more modern because of the size. The keyboard is much smaller though, because of the reduced width of the phone. However, it is definitely usable. I noticed some slowdown from a regular Treo keyboard, but not really that much.

It’s not revolutionary, but it’s a nice phone. Will it help Palm out of its doldrums? The stock market seems to think so, as Palm stock rose 6% today.

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews

The Newton was a little too bulky to really fit into the PDA market, and it died a lamented death. Now, rumor has it that Apple is looking into a PDA to flesh out its line … and based on what it’s done with the iPod Touch and iPhone, it seems like a natural extension.

Speaking at the 2004 edition of the Wall Street Journal’s D: All Things Digital conference, Jobs stated that he was proud not only of the products Apple had released in recent years, but also the products the company had decided not to ship.

When asked by an audience member to elaborate, Jobs said simply, “an Apple PDA.”

It appears that Jobs and Co. never gave up hope, and instead returned to the drawing board. For the past 18 months, well-respected sources tell AppleInsider, a small team of Apple engineers have been at it again, this time tapping the company’s revolutionary multi-touch technology as a foundation. Source: AppleInsider

We Say: Of course, this is still just a rumor, and should be treated as such. Then again, there are many who would love a new Newton … and wasn’t the iPhone just a rumor at one time?

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews

You might have heard of the concept of a bachelor auction. Usually a group of hunks is auctioned off for a good cause, to whichever woman can “buy him.” (Even Frasier and Cheers had episodes featuring such auctions). It’s usually for charity. Well, they say charity begins at home, right?

The Linux Users Group at Washington State University must be pretty desperate. They have planned their own version, called a “Nerd Auction.” However, since they are geeks, they’re going to ask sorority members to help them with makeovers.

The makeovers will be video-ed, the video shown at dinner, and then the auction will take place. As their website says:

You can buy a nerd and he’ll fix your computer, help you with stats homework, or if you’re really adventurous, take you to dinner!

We Say: Well, they may get “bought,” but I don’t expect any lasting relationships to come out of it. And I’m saying this as a lifetime geek!