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Windows Live Wave 4 Beta May Wash Up on Shore This Week

Mark Edward Soper — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:31:40 -0500

ArsTechnica passes along a rumor that the next release of Microsoft's Windows Live, Wave 4, may reach beta status this week. Details are scarce, but Softpedia points out that Windows Live Hotmail Wave 4 Milestone 1, which offers a number of new features, has been live since mid-September.

When will Windows Live Wave 4 Beta shed the beta tag? ArsTechnica has run a Japanese blog entry about Wave 4 through a couple of online translators, with the rather fractured results pointing to a spring to summer 2010 target. Stay clicked to MaximumPC.com for more information.

Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 Beta Adds Windows 7 Support and More

Mark Edward Soper — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:34:18 -0500

With Windows 7 coming down the pike in less than a month, it's time for Microsoft to update its Windows Home Server product to support new features in Windows 7, such as Libraries and image-based backup. Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 (now available in beta via Microsoft Connect) provides the Windows 7 support Windows Home Server needs, but that's not all that's new.

What's New in Power Pack 3 for Windows 7 Users?

Because Windows Home Server is designed to provide a Windows-ready back end for backup and file organization on a home network, many of the changes in Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 add Windows 7 compatibility. These include:

Windows 7 library support, including Windows Search 4 integration to enable WHS to search libraries and EFS (encrypted) files
Windows 7 Action Center backup integration
Windows 7 power settings support for scheduled backup

...and Everyone Else?

Other improvements include:

More reliable file restore and image restore
Improved backup repair
Support for displays with resolutions as low as 1024x600
Automatic TV recording archiving from Windows Media Center to Windows Home Server in your choice of formats
Console view of Windows Home Server from within Windows Media Center

So, how soon will "beta" become "production?" According to the Windows Home Server blog (a great way to keep track of the latest news on WHS0, the production version should be ready by the end of 2009. See the Microsoft Connect intro site to learn more about joining the program.

Beware of Mail-in-Rebates (Seriously this Time)

Paul Lilly — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:28:41 -0600

Mail-in-rebates are a gamble no matter how you approach the situation. You can push the odds of getting a check in your favor by both following directions exactly as they're laid out and keeping a record of the entire process with photocopies of everything you send in, but no matter how careful you are, the promised check might never be in the mail. Depending on the amount, it could be worthwhile to stay persistent.

Now it appears that standard precautions may not be enough. According to HardOCP, Continental Promotions Group (CPG), one of the largest and oldest rebate entities in the business, is finding itself in dire straits and potentially unable to pay its obligations. When a manufacturer puts a rebate on a product, it anticipates a set of amount will be turned in. To cover the costs, said manufacturer will cut a check to CPG to cover the payouts, but according to HardOCP, those funds have gone inexplicably missing.

"We have it from good sources currently that CPG owes consumers somewhere in the neighborhood of $9M to $12M worth of rebates," HardOCP writes. "The problem here is that CPG currently only has about $3M in cash to cover that $9M-$12M in rebates owed to the consumer. Where that money has gone to is anyone’s guess and we will leave speculation up the law enforcement authorities and the courts."

HardOCP says CPG has been contacting its customers asking them to deposit more money into CPG accounts to cover the rebates or else it might not be able to honor consumer rebate checks. That can't sit well with manufacturers who already funded the rebates, nor will it sit well with consumers if they end up being the ones to get screwed.

What's your experience with mail-in-rebates been like? Hit the jump and let us know, good or bad.

Image Credit: Flickr rick

Newegg Reverses Decision to Collect New York Sales Tax

Chris Moody — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:32:10 -0500

Nothing is worse than when the government decides to levy another tax someplace. Newegg customers of New York were irked on June 1, 2008 when they found out that Newegg was being required to collect sales tax to orders sent to New York, even though Newegg doesn’t have a store there.

However, Newegg has backed away from that stance, sending out an email from Newegg Company Spokesperson and Vice President of Merchandising, Bernard Luthi, saying that it reversed it’s decision based on feedback from it’s customers.

“This decision was driven by your direct and candid feedback and our continued commitment to you as our valued customers.” He went on to thank customers for their patience as they worked things out.

Of course, New York residents are still responsible for paying their sales tax.

Newegg should be applauded for taking a stand. Collecting taxes for different states, counties, and localities would be a terrible mess for any online retailer to wade through. It would only serve to drive up prices for consumers and stifle internet commerce.

How do you feel about taxes on items purchased over the web?

CrunchGear Wants You To Help Build a Web Tablet

Chris Moody — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:51:37 -0500

The guys at CruchGear want to design a web tablet that would cost $200 and they want your help to do it. I’ve always liked the idea of a tablet for doing little things like surfing from the sofa. With netbooks catching on, can a nettablet be far behind?

They pitch this basic idea; make it as thin as possible, run low end hardware, headphone jack, a built in camera for video, low end speakers, microphone, wifi, USB port, a built in battery, 512 RAM, and a 4Gb solid state hard drive. No keyboard, input is via a touch screen. It will run on some flavor of Linux or BSD.

The extra twist is they want to build a few and then open source the specs so anyone can create and improve on them. I like the idea! You can read about the mock up here, and the article that started it here.

I see it as handy item for browsing the web and reading email, but with it's only interface is a touch screen, don't expect to write a book the size of War and Peace on it.

Seven Rules for Safer Holiday Shopping

Gordon Mah Ung — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:57:45 -0600

Tis the season to buy new PCs, electronics, and a bunch of other stuff for that matter. There are great deals to be had, but whether you're buying for yourself or others, the road to electronic bliss is fraught with peril. Before you shell out your hard-earned dough for that new gaming rig or plasma screen TV, read our guide--or suffer the consequences!

1. Find the best deals online

By shopping around, you can sometimes find a better bargain than is even available at Wal-Mart. Yes. Really. Wal-Mart.

We’ve actually found that one of the best ways to find a deal is to cruise the technology “coupon” sites. Sites such as techdeals.net and techbargains.com track supercheap bargains from retailers and often provide links and the coupon codes needed to get the low price. These sites are quite different than search engines because they are geared toward the best deals, not simply searching a store for an item and its price. For example, on one particular day, you could get a 20 percent discount on a Canon Rebel XTI digital camera at Dell.com, but you had to buy the camera that day and use Paypal. Taking advantage of these steep discounts is certainly more work but can be worth it if you're willing to do the legwork.

As always, be wary of offers that seem too good to be true. It's entirely possible that Circuit City will run a crazy cheap special on an HDTV to get people in the door, but if Bob's Internet Tire & Battery Emporium is offering a cheaper deal on the same TV, beware.

2. Sometimes extended warranties are good, most of the time they're bad

Extended warranties on desktop PCs are rarely worth the money. Desktop PCs have become so reliable that if one works for the first three hours out of the box, it probably won’t die for five years. For notebook PCs, however, extended warranties have a better chance of paying off, as notebooks have far higher failure rates than desktops. Notebook PCs get carried around, pressed, compressed, vibrated and knocked about. Add that to hundreds of delicate components operating in a tiny space and it’s not a question of if your laptop will break, but when. That doesn’t mean you should automatically say yes when the man in the blue shirt asks if you want to buy an extended warranty for your new notebook, but there's a much higher likelihood that your investment will pay off.

For "dumber" consumer electronics and home appliances, the extended warranty is rarely a good idea. Devices like washing machines and dishwashers rarely, if ever, break. When they do, it's inevitably beyond even the extrended warranty period. The exception may be high-end consumer electronics--think large-screen HDTVs--it may be worth paying for the extended warranty just for the in-home service.

Warranty policies are generally written by horrible beasts with the brain of an insurance actuary, the soul of a lawyer, and the mouth of a politician. In other words, they’re not designed to help you, they’re designed to help the company increase profits without increasing liability. The warranties are written with the knowledge that most consumers won't have any problems over the life of the extended warranty. Of course, shady companies can pad that profit margin even more by simply refusing to cover a customer's warranty claims. Just because you have that warranty doesn’t mean that a company will honor it. Oftentimes, extended warranties carry verbiage that absolves the company from intentional damage caused by the customer, which is a vague enough claim that they can choose not to cover accidental damage--like dropping your laptop. Once the company determines that you intentionally damaged your gear, you're screwed. We don't want to imply that every extended warranty is designed to screw you, but they’re not going to cover every problem you have. As always, buyer beware.

3. Beware of hidden fees

If you prefer to shop online, watch out for the landmines that online stores have laid. Many stores, especially smaller, less reputable stores (and even some larger stores) will charge you a restocking fee if you need to return anything--even defective products. The restocking fees are often quite high in order to dissuade you from trying to return items that you bought. A really disreputable store will actually try to charge you a restocking fee on defective items that you return. How do you watch out for this trap? Read the store’s return policy before you click the check-out button.

The other common hidden fee is the shipping and handling charge. Frequently, unscrupulous online vendors will list an item at below retail cost and then make up their money on exorbitant shipping and handling fees. Always pay attention to what shipping and handling are going to cost you.

4. Credit card warranty

Know the protections your credit card offers, and always make large purchases with a card that offers some sort of buyer protection.

Don’t always rely only on the store’s warranty. If you bought your item with a credit card, check the credit card company’s policy on warranty coverage. Many Platinum, Titanium, and Adamantium credit cards will automatically offer extended warranties for items that were purchased with the card. You can find out what kind of consumer protection your card offers by calling the 800 number on the back. For that reason, it's a good idea to make major purchases, like that new 30-inch monitor, with a card that offers purchaser protection.

5. Research independent PC manufacturers

If you’re not buying a PC from Dell, HP, or one of the other big boys, you’ll want to see what kind of track record your vendor has. At a minimum, your due diligence should include checking the Better Business Bureau at bbb.org. A second level of protection would be to check consumer complaint sites like Resellerratings.com. The site lets people evaluate stores and companies and compiles a quick score and lets you deep dive into the nitty gritty of the good, bad, and ugly of a particular store or PC builder.

6. Digital camera deals are dangerous

Beware too-good-to-be-true digital camera deals online! Unsavory online camera stores will hold your money hostage and gouge you for an included kit.

Digital cameras will likely be a hot item this Christmas, but cameras and online shopping can often end tragically. That’s due to the high number of borderline slimy stores that target digital camera buyers. It works this way: Your Google search for a Canon EOS 40D SLR yields an incredible price of $600! Wow, that’s $600 less than the other stores are offering it for. You order it and check out. Months later, you still haven't received your camera. You call the vendor, and you’re given a song and dance about it being back-ordered because of X excuse, would you like to buy the camera bundle with some accessories for $1,700? It's a lose-lose situation. If you fall for the upsell and actually receive your camera, you’ll notice that your package bundle, which you paid extra for, includes the battery and charger (which are normally included with the camera for MSRP). If you give up and cancel the order, you've wasted a ton of time, you don't have a camera, and the company has had your $600 for three months. If you foolishly let them cut you a check instead of getting your credit card company to reverse the charges, you’ll get to play the “where’s my check game?”

The short story is that there is no way in hell any store can sell a camera for half of what other legitimate stores are selling it for. But they know that greed works every single time. Just follow the old adage that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

7. White box deals can be great, but know the dangers

Not all components are created the same. Top-tier components are full retail items in fancy boxes designed for store shelves. Theyusually include the full enchilada: all of the accessories, documentation, and the full warranty. One bin down is the bare component. These are often called OEM items, but that isn't always the case. Sometimes these bare items are considered full retail parts by the manufacturer and carry the full warranty–you just don’t get the fancy packaging or maybe the free T-shirt or software bundle that the retail part had. The riskiest item to buy is the OEM component. These are parts made and sold to PC assemblers and builders. Sometimes they carry shorter warranties or no warranty at all. They may even vary greatly in specifications from the components you read about online. They may have less cache or lower clock speeds or be missing key components that you wanted. The bad news is that it's extremely difficult to tell the difference between OEM parts and bare retail components; sometimes the reseller won't even know.

This applies not only to hardware but software as well. If you buy a retail copy of Windows, you can move it from machine to machine, reactivating it over and over again through several hardware upgrades. Hardware upgrades aren't a problem, even if you swap out every component in the rig. You may have to reactivate by phone after the second or third reinstall, but it will continue to work. If you buy the less expensive OEM version of the software, you'll have a problem. Microsoft has the option of limiting OEM copies of Windows to the motherboard that it is first installed on. If your motherboard dies, Microsoft technically considers your copy of the OS dead and can and has in the past, refused to reactivate it for a different motherboard.

Got tips of your own? Share them in the comments.

CC licensed thumbnail icon courtesy of Flickr user Roland. Check stand image courtesy of Flickr user Clean Wal-Mart. Credit card image courtesy of Flickr user The Consumerist.

Comcast Caught Filtering Bittorrent and Lying About It

Erin Simon — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 13:20:11 -0500

In August, Comcast subscribers began noticing extremely slow Bittorrent transfers, downloads cutting off and uploads refusing to seed. Comcast flatly denied rumors of interfering with Bittorrent traffic. The ISP said it didn't discriminate between types of traffic, instead dealing directly with customers who used “excessive” bandwidth.

Tests performed by the Associated Press this week show that Comcast was lying through its teeth. The ISP does filter Bittorrent and other filesharing traffic, which AP confirmed by trying to seed and download a 4.24MB file of the King James Bible (which is in the public domain). Comcast's filtering software works by posing as the host and sending a reset packet to a downloader – incidentally, the same technique as used by the Great Firewall of China. Comcast now maintains that this kind of “traffic shaping” is essential to ensuring a good experience to the majority of their customers who don't use p2p software.

Comcast could get in legal trouble a couple of ways from this. Impersonating one of the parties in the Bittorrent connection might run afoul of state anti-fraud laws. Lying to customers about reducing their quality of service almost certainly constitutes deceptive trade practices and/or unfair competition. And my ECPA-expert friend is scratching his forehead over whether Comcast's monkeying around with their subscribers' connections would be a violation of that statute (the Electronic Communications Privacy Act), which protects electronic communications from interception but allows ISPs wide latitude to manage their networks.

As with anything this dubiously-unlawful, the real judgment is going to come in the court of public opinion. Comcast's actions have people talking Net Neutrality again, and other service providers will have to think twice before exposing themselves to this kind of bad publicity.

Thumbnail photo courtesy of roland.

Lawsuits Target iPhone Bricking

Erin Simon — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 22:34:24 -0500

Most cellphones locked to a particular cellular network, so that carriers can leverage consumers to use their service by subsidizing the cost of the device. For iPhones, that network is AT&T's, and the cell company pays a hefty premium for its monopoly on Apple customers. Hackers have found ways to unlock iPhones, however, as well as adding additional applications. Unlocking cell phones is specifically exempted from the DMCA's prohibition on reverse engineering, so several thousand people unlocked their iPhones. Apple's latest iPhone software update rendered unlocked phones unusable even on AT&T's network, a move referred to as 'bricking' the phones. This has understandably pissed some iPhone owners off, leading two of them to file separate class-action lawsuits against Apple and AT&T.

The first by a few days, Tim Smith, alleges California state law antitrust and unfair competition claims, saying that Apple used its monopoly power to inflate iPhone prices and refusing to provide warranty service on bricked phones.

The second alleges violations of federal antitrust law, including the Sherman Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, and the Telecommunications Act. It emphasizes Apple's statement before the 1.1.1 update that bricked unlocked phones that the unauthorized software could “cause irreparable damage to the iPhone's software, which will likely result in the modified iPhone becoming permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone software update is installed.” The complaint takes this as evidence that Apple intentionally disabled unlocked phones, and then refused warranty service on them, which the plaintiff says are unlawfully anticompetitive.