One Laptop Per Child XO-1 (OLPC)

It pains us to mention such a well-intentioned project alongside so many products built to empty wallets, but there's no question that the XO-1 has failed to live up to its pre-launch hype. Not only did the original $100 price tag fly out the window well before the machines ever reached reality, they were also off-schedule and failed to really catch hold in many third world countries. Even the concept of putting computers into the hands of children seemed to fall apart at the seams when it turned out kids were using the first OLPC batches to look at inappropriate sites. We'll give Nicholas Negroponte's vision some credit when Ethiopia becomes the next Silicon Valley.

Sprint Launching HTC Touch Pro November 2

Sprint is not offering the HTC Touch Pro, a Windows Mobile 6 smartphone with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 3.2 megapixel camera, EV-DO Rev A connectivity, and 2.8-inch touchscreen.


U.S. mobile operator Sprint has officially launched the HTC Touch Pro, a widely-anticipated new smartphone offering Windows Mobile 6.1, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a 3.2 megapixel camera, and a 2.8-inch touchscreen display—all accessed via HTC's generally-lauded TouchFlo 3D interface. And, of course, the Touch Pro can tap into Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A wireless broadband network for peak connectivity up to 3.1 Mbps in an area that covers almost 17,000 cities and over 1,600 airports.

"People have already shown a tremendous initial response to the HTC Touch Diamond for Sprint, and we are pleased to also offer the HTC Touch Pro as another choice to customers," said HTC America VP Jason Mackenzie, in a statement. "The HTC Touch Pro is the perfect device for those who demand the ease of use of TouchFLO 3D and the styling of the HTC Touch Diamond but also crave a more powerful mobile business experience."

The HTC Touch Pro weighs 5.3 ounces, and—in addition to that 3.2 megapixel camera, slide-out keyboard, and touchscreen—comes with integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, an integrated GPS receiver, and a microSD slot that accommodates up to 16 GB of additional storage.(The phone itself carries 288 MB of RAM and 512 MB of flash storage.) The camera is video-capable for video phone calls, and, being a Windows Mobile device, the phone offers access to Microsoft Exchange email along with mobile versions of Microsoft Office applications and Windows Media Player. The phone features TV-out functionality that lets users (say) deliver a PowerPoint presentation using just the Touch Pro, Sprint also wants to make sure potential customers know the Touch Pro can tap into Sprint mobile content offerings, including music, TV shows, and music.

The HTC Touch Pro is priced at $299.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, with a new two-year service agreement. The phone goes on sale November 2.

Microsoft "Biggest Hacker In China"

Microsoft's new antipiracy tool has consumers up in arms in China — and even the China Software Industry Association is planning action.


Microsoft definitely isn’t popular in China at the moment. In a country where counterfeit software is rife (around 90% by many estimates), it’s launched a new antipiracy tool.

The Windows Genuine Advantage program turns on-screen backgrounds black every hour if it can’t validate the software, the Guardian reports, rather than just notifying the user, as had been the case before. And that’s what has the Chinese up in arms.

Beijing lawyer Dong Zhengwei has not only complained to the Security Ministry calling Microsoft the “biggest hacker in China,” he’s also written to China Daily:

"I respect the right of Microsoft to protect its intellectual property, but it is taking on the wrong target with wrong measures. They should target producers and sellers of fake software, not users."

Even the China Software Industry Association is planning action against Microsoft.