Posts Tagged "microsoft"
Microsoft unveils DRM-laden mobile music store
After the last MSN Music DRM fiasco, you would have thought Microsoft would have learnt their lesson. However, the new MSN Mobile Music service locks music purchases to the phone they were bought on.
How does Microsoft defend this policy? Hugh Griffiths offered this gem of an interview with PC Pro. In it he offers a few words of wisdom:
Why has Microsoft gone back to DRM when the vast majority of music services have ditched it?
At the moment, to be honest with you, we don’t have the functionality in-house to provide a mechanism for transferring between mobile phones and PC. We don’t have that functionality available”.
Seriously folks, how could they possibly ever build that sort of functionality in-house?
If I buy these songs on your service – and they’re locked to my phone – what happens when I upgrade my phone in six months’ time?
Well, I think you know the answer to that.
I think we do.
Can you really expect people to buy music that’s locked to a device they upgrade every 12 to 18 months?
I didn’t realise phones were churning that quickly in the marketplace these days.
Then you might be in the wrong job Hugh.
Still, you have to give him credit for trying…
Read MoreJetplane Review: Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 8000
I know a lot of Mac users have been looking for a decent bluetooth mouse for some time now and for whatever reason most manufacturers fail to get some essentials right. Most competitors are either designed only for travel use, lack an on/off switch or gobble through batteries like there’s no tomorrow. (Or in the case of the Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse, they have a scroll-ball that gunks up after a few months of use and is impossible to clean!)
For some years now Microsoft has made pretty decent peripherals and surprisingly enough their Mac support is usually not bad either. The Wireless Laser Mouse 8000 is no exception: Aside from rugged good brushed-metal looks that go great with a Mac Pro or Macbook Pro, the mouse can also be customized to your hearts content using the powerful Microsoft Mouse preference pane. But before we get into details, here’s a rundown of the main features that drew me to the Wireless Laser Mouse 8000:
Features:
- Bluetooth, so you can use your Mac’s internal bluetooth device
- Laser sensor
- Rechargeable battery and charging station
- 4-directional scroll wheel
- Additional programmable buttons
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