Posted 07/30/09 at 10:07:47 PM by Pulkit Chandna

Last week, Microsoft disappointed members of its invitation-only Windows 7 Technical Beta Program by announcing that they were not eligible for a free copy of Windows 7 Ultimate. But it has now made amends by announcing a complimentary copy of Windows 7 Ultimate for each one of them.

Microsoft will allow them to download the final build of Windows 7 Ultimate along with a key, beginning August 6, 2009. Those eligible can also opt for a boxed copy, however, such boxed copies are said to be limited in number. The complimentary boxed copies will become available after October 22, 2009.

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Posted 07/30/09 at 06:54:21 PM by Pulkit Chandna

DRM protection has been a bone of contention between content owners and anti-DRM activists. The latter party’s contentions seem to be becoming quite popular with content providers, with many music download services, including the august iTunes, opting for DRM-free music. However, DRM hasn’t been eliminated as a lot of downloadable content, including streaming/downloadable videos and streaming music, is still fettered by DRM protection.

The Copyright Office is currently deliberating upon allowing fresh exemptions to its rules that forbid DRM cracking – enshrined in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Steven Metalitz, a DC-based lawyer, who represents Big Content – a collective term for DRM-loving individual content owners and their organizations like MPAA and RIAA, reckons users should not be allowed to crack DRM protection even if an online store shuts down its authentication servers.

“We reject the view that copyright owners and their licensees are required to provide consumers with perpetual access to creative works. No other product or service providers are held to such lofty standards. No one expects computers or other electronics devices to work properly in perpetuity, and there is no reason that any particular mode of distributing copyrighted works should be required to do so,” he wrote in a missive addressed to the Copyright Office’s top legal advisor.

It is quite unrealistic to expect online stores to perpetually maintain their DRM servers. But it is ludicrous to assume that shutting down of an authentication server or the whole online store is reason enough for the user to surrender his ownership rights.

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Posted 06/24/09 at 03:33:23 PM by Andy Salisbury

For those of you still enjoying the Windows 7 beta (build 7000), know that your free time is coming to a close.

On July 1, 2009, those of you still running the beta will be told to install a released version of Windows, followed by your PC shutting down automatically every two hours. If on August 1, 2009 you’re still on the beta, your license will expire and the non-genuine lifestyle will be at your doorstep. That means you’ll lose your wallpaper and “This copy of Windows is not genuine” will be displayed in the lower right hand corner above the taskbar (the fiends!).

However, if you’ve already moved onto build 7100 (as I’m sure many of you already have), you’ll be in good shape until March 1, 2010. If you haven’t though, make sure to get it soon – downloads will be halted on August 15, 2009.

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Posted 06/16/09 at 10:00:06 AM by Paul Lilly

Through a partnership with Universal, Virgin Media said it plans to launch an unlimited music download subscription service. The well timed announcement comes just one day before a British report hits the public eye detailing how the creative and telecom industries should go about bumping up digital sales to cope with lost revenue due to online piracy.

"We listened to our customers, our fans, and our artists and we think that this is an opportunity to bring music to a wider audience," said Lucian Grainge, Universal Music chairman and CEO.

According to Reuters, people familiar with the service said it would cost around $16 to $24 per month. Both sides are describing the service as a world first, which would allow Virgin Media broadband customers to both listen to streaming tracks and download however many tracks and albums they want.

Unlike other unlimited subscription services, the downloadable MP3s won't come with any DRM shackles, which means the tracks can be transferred to and played from any MP3-capable device.

"This is really high stakes, if this can't work then what will," commented Mark Mulligan, an analyst with Jupiter.

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Posted 06/15/09 at 05:25:41 PM by Andy Salisbury

Call it a gimmick, call it what you want, but it looks like Microsoft is doing some good by helping out those in need via their Internet Explorer 8 advertising.

Along side their Dean Cain commercials that went live earlier this month, they’ll be donating the equivalent of eight meals to the Feeding America Network for each completed download of Internet Explorer 8.

Make sure that you download soon though; this promotion will only run from June 10th to August 8th. So, if you’re not downloading IE8 for yourself, download it for those in need! You’ll feel better tonight knowing you did.

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Posted 03/26/09 at 04:49:54 PM by Andy Salisbury

FileFront, which is currently in its tenth year of service to the online gaming community, will be closing its doors for good at the end of March.

“We regret to inform you that due to the current economic conditions we are forced to indefinitely suspend the FileFront site operations on March 30, 2009,” said the site in a goodbye statement. “If you have uploaded files, images or posted blogs, or if you would like to download some of your favorite files, please take this opportunity to download them before March 30th when the site will be suspended.”

This is a huge loss for anyone that’s enjoyed the site’s services for either downloading patches, movies, or sharing files of their own. “We would like to give a warm thank you to all of you who have been part of the FileFront communities we have built together. Your support has had a meaningful impact for all of us here at FileFront,” the statement continued. “Keep gaming alive.”

*Moment of silence.*

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Posted 02/14/09 at 05:21:45 PM by Pulkit Chandna

Downloading Youtube videos has been a piece of cake for quite sometime now, though Youtube never expressly gave its assent to downloading until last month, when it made it possible for users to download videos from Barack Obama’s Youtube channel. As it turns out now, the company was just testing waters by allowing Obama’s videos to be downloaded.

Now, the video sharing website has formally approved downloading. Not all videos will be free to download, however, as users will have to pay a fee to download some of the videos. Youtube is testing an option that will let video publishers make their content available offline for free or for a price they deem fit. All payments will be processed by Youtube’s cognate company Google Checkout.

It is strange that Youtube expects users will actually be interested in paying for videos when they can be download for free through the large number of online tools available for that purpose.

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Posted 01/20/09 at 04:03:04 PM by Pulkit Chandna

There are numerous websites that allow you to download Youtube videos – and videos hosted on other sites – directly to your desktop. All of them have capitalized on the lack of a downloading feature on Youtube. However, they might just have to conceive a superb contingency plan as Youtube has jeopardized their very existence by inaugurating an indigenous download feature.

The feature is currently only available on President Obama’s Youtube channel as Google appears to be testing waters. You can check it out at this link.

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