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Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Commercial

Microsoft threatens to cripple pirated Vista PCs

VistaMicrosoft says it will be taking a much harsher stance on piracy with the release of Windows Vista. According to the AP, users running a pirated version of the new version of Windows will initially be locked out of some of Vista's most touted features including the eye-candy Aero interface. If they don't pay Microsoft's ransom buy a copy of Vista that Windows Genuine Advantage believes is legit within 30 days, the situation will escalate and users will only be able to browse the web for an hour at a time and will be unable to "directly" open their documents or email. The AP article quotes analyst Roger Kay who says "There will be an XP backlash, which is to say people clinging to XP in order to avoid this," and that though the deterrents won't be very effective against hardcore pirates, they might stop some "lower-level" piracy. ZDNet's Ed Bott has some more valuable details about Microsoft's new "punishment regime," and isn't too happy about it.

[Via Engadget]

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Graveyard Shift - zombie-busting Time Waster

With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet. They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...

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