Microsoft Can't Decide If It's Giving Away Windows 10 For Free

In an announcement on Friday, Microsoft dropped the unusually generous news that it is giving away free copies of Windows 10 to anyone who participates in the beta Insider Program for Redmond's latest OS. Sound a little too good to be true? You bet.

As noted by Ars Technica, Microsoft has since sneakily updated its blog post announcing the move, changing some crucial language:

Previously it said that signed up members of the Insider Program running a preview version would "receive the Windows 10 final release build and remain activated." Now it says only that they will "receive the Windows 10 final release build."

Moreover, Microsoft added some clarifying language, saying that "It's important to note that only people running Genuine Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 can upgrade to Windows 10 as part of the free upgrade offer."

Seems pretty clear, then: only users upgrading from Windows 7 or 8 will get a free upgrade, which is in line with Microsoft's previous announcements.

But that's not all! On Twitter this evening, Microsoft exec Gabriel Aul stated in no uncertain terms that anyone with a prerelease build of Windows 10 (with a registered Microsoft Account) would remain activated on the final version of Windows 10.

@ZacB_ @joebelfiore Yes, as long as running a prerelease build connected with registered MSA:http://t.co/vlaGyfwzbr

June 21, 2015

Reading between the lines, it seems that Microsoft might be providing a way for individual users to upgrade, without making the whole process above board. Microsoft makes most of its Windows money off businesses and OEMs, the companies that sell new PCs already running a (licensed, paid-for) version of Windows. The wording in the latest blog post implies that upgrading to full-fat Windows 10 will work; it just won't be officially sanctioned by Microsoft, meaning that businesses will still have to pony up for the upgrade.

We reached out to Microsoft for comment, and will update if anyone manages to clarify this mess.

[Microsoft, Ars Technica]

10,000 free folding microscopes traded for inspiring ideas

Stanford University's Manu Prakash is looking to give away Foldscopes to field testers with interesting ideas for using the 50-cent gadget.

by Michelle Starr March 14, 2014 2:51 PM PDT

View the Original article

Fitbit has received nearly 10,000 reports of skin irritation from Force owners

Fitbit kicked off a refund program last month after learning its Force activity tracker caused skin irritation in a "small percentage" of users, and now we're finally getting a better sense of the situation. According to the official recall notice from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the company received around 9,900 reports of skin irritation and around 250 reports of blistering. The notice also points out that the recall affects about 1 million of the wearables in the United States and about 28,000 more in Canada. So what happens next? Well, the CPSC's stance is clear: contact the company and take the money.

"Whether you hear about this recall from the CPSC or Fitbit directly, take advantage of the refund right away," CPSC communications director Scott Wolfson told Engadget. "It's actually somewhat rare for firms that we deal with to provide a refund, especially a full refund."

The Commission also wants the company to inform as many of its customers of the recall as possible, and it doesn't seem thrilled with what Fitbit has accomplished so far. At time of writing, Fitbit's popular Twitter (77,700 followers) and Facebook (250,000 likes) accounts make no mention of the recall. That's not to say Fitbit is just sitting around though: a representative confirmed to us that it'll email all Force owners "over the next few weeks" to make sure they're aware of the situation.

0 Comments Share

Source: CPSC

More Coverage: Consumerist

Tags: cpsc, fitbit, fitbitforce, force, recall, refund, skin Next: New HTC One sold on eBay in Verizon packaging for $500
View the Original article

Threes Comes To Android, And I’m Not Just Using This To Tell You My Top Score Is 10,125

Threes, the number matching game that’s part Sudoku and part Bejeweled (or Candy Crush Saga for the young folk) is now on Android. You may not think this is a big deal, if you’ve never played the game, but that’s probably because you were on Android and unable to experience how awesome it is.

The 100% original, all natural, homegrown Threes! is now available on Google Play play.google.com/store/apps/det

View the Original article