February 2005 - Posts
From $5 to $1000, EULAs [or end user license agreement] are starting to offer cold hard cash! Most people dread reading all this legal mumbo-jumbo and simply click yes when installing software. I actually do scan through them if they're not that long or I simply just read the titles of the different paragraphs [unless I'm in a hurry].
Anyway, the $5 refers to a clause in Microsoft's AntiSpyware *cough* AntiAdware */cough* Beta in case Microsoft makes a mistake and the software's definitions start erasing personal files. Of course Microsoft has to actually find and admit the error themselves, which they recently did. I think that's a little generous since the software is free and will remain free. I have GIANT's software myself since it has more features, but Microsoft recently released an update that increased performance among other things, which was true when I uninstalled GIANT on a slow machine and installed the new Microsoft build. I compared the boot times and there was a decrease in 10-15 seconds on a 2:30 boot time [yeah, it's a slow machine]. Anyway, it kind of makes me angry that Microsoft isn't updating the GIANT build, they're only updating the definitions for it.
The $1000 check was cut by PC Pitstop when Doug Heckman was the first of over 3000 downloads to actually read the EULA and e-mail the company for compensation. If only I used their software... Interesting to note that this article was first on Slashdot.org and then News.com used it.
@Matthew
A problem has been found with Xbox power cords that can cause burns or damage to the console when submitted to sustain over voltage or mechanical malfunction. The power cords affected were manufactured in the United States before October 23, 2003 or Europe before January 13, 2004. Record the serial number and manufacturer date found on the bottom of the Xbox and then go to <http://replacements.webprogram.com/en-us/index.asp> to receive your no charge replacement.
For more information:
FAQ - <http://replacements.webprogram.com/en-us/faqs.asp>
Microsoft recalls Xbox power cords - <http://news.com.com/2100-1043_3-5580586.html>
When checking multiple consoles on the web site, make sure to clear your cache and I would even go so far to try it multiple times. I was able to register one Xbox for the replacement and then another came up fine, when I went to register the third it said it didn't need the replacement at first, but after trying again I was able to order a replacement.
Now my question is I have multiple Xboxes in the house and power cords have been shuffled around in the past. How do I identify which power cords are faulty? Additionally, one Xbox was manufactured on September 9, 2003, which is before October 23, 2003, yet the web site and automated phone system [number in FAQ] says it's fine, how can that be? I called and then pressed 0 twice to speak to someone, but was disconnected after a few minutes. Microsoft needs to promptly address these concerns with the contractor.
@Matthew
Update: I finally talked to someone at the Xbox Power-cord Replacement call center and he basically told me “I have no idea.” Luckily he ordered another cord so I could replace all of them. However, he didn't know how I could tell which power cords would be effected, other than to look at the new ones and compare/contrast. Also, he didn't know why the system would deny an Xbox that was manufactured before October 23, 2003 based upon the serial number. I was thinking about it some more and Xbox Support had refurbished my old unit with a brand new one since mine was damaged in transit upon requesting them to fix the damm DVD drive [this being the second time I needed it replaced!]. Maybe since it was refurbished and a new serial number, it wasn't in the system correctly. It's incredibly unfortunate that the contractor isn't making a better effort to resolve problems customers are experiencing and as a result it reflects negatively upon Microsoft. I'm going to try bringing up these issue with Xbox Forums and Major Nelson.
Tonight Microsoft officially launched the new version [a/k/a wave 10] of MSN.com. The site loads much faster, emphasizing content and search services more than advertising. With the launch of the new site comes the final release of the more precise, more powerful MSN Search. The new search has been in development since March 2003 and beta since November 2004. The engine is using MSN’s own web crawler [MSNBot 1.0] and Newsbot service that launched back in July 2004. New features include search results in RSS, faster performance and more results from other MSN properties. The search engine is also featured on Microsoft.com now. For more information, visit:
If you want to be nostalgic, I was still able to access the old search on either IE's Search Assistant or IE's Auto Search, and the old tour is still up [with sound!].
Some press:
Additionally, the MSN Toolbar Suite [Desktop Search] team has launched a new beta build to address some bugs. More information about the changes can be found on their blog. Also be sure to check out the user testimonials.
Please submit any feedback to MSN Support or the Channel9 Wiki.
Although this means that a number of betas have gone gold, there are more betas right around the corner, like MSN Shopping beta. It’s another much cleaner interface over the predecessor and quite like Windows Marketplace.
Now that MSN has kept me awake when I wanted to go to bed early, I’m going to go crash. Have fun everyone!
@Matthew
PS--I kept forgetting to blog about the v6 updates to Microsoft TerraServer [another play toy in MSN Sandbox].
Update: I quickly added some press links. I see Google's and Yahoo's [Inktomi] stock price going down soon. Also, much thanks to Paul for posting a lot of this!