Windows 7 Is Making People Forget About Vista

It looks like Windows 7 is making consumers forget all about Windows Vista and its associated headaches.

According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI)'s Q1 2010 report, released, Microsoft's customer satisfaction score rose nine percent in the past year due to the positive reception Windows 7 has enjoyed. Microsoft's overall customer satisfaction score now stands at an all-time high of 76 on the ACSI's 100-point scale.

According to David VanAmburg, Managing Director, ACSI, the opposite trend was seen in the wake of Vista's release in 2006. In the ACSI's 2007 report, Microsoft's customer satisfaction score dropped from 73 to 70, marking the first time a company's score was affected so negatively by a product release, VanAmburg said.

"When Microsoft's score tanked [in 2007], that was pretty much a first. But we're now seeing the reverse of that, as Windows 7 has had a reparative effect," VanAmburg said in an interview.

The ACSI's report measures customers' opinions of companies in a variety of industries, including phone service, healthcare, satellite and cable television. In Microsoft's case, the ACSI score doesn't pertain just to Windows, but to its full product portfolio, although Windows is by far Microsoft's dominant product.

Long after Vista's release, Microsoft crowed about it breaking existing Windows sales records, but the reality is that many consumers bought Vista PCs and used downgrade rights to switch over to XP. Many businesses opted to avoid Vista altogether to wait for whatever came next, and even volume licensing customers gave Vista a miss.

"A lot of the issues with Vista were overblown, but from a customer satisfaction standpoint, Vista didn't offer people enough benefits to overcome the stuff that drove them crazy," said Todd Swank, Vice President, Marketing at US-based system builder Nor-Tech.

Nonetheless, Swank and other Microsoft solution providers agree with the ACSI's assessment of Windows 7. Larry Piland, President of Datel Systems, a US-based solution provider, says customers that skipped Vista are now switching from XP to Windows 7, and they're encountering few problems along the way.

"We are finally seeing those organizations that would not upgrade to Vista migrating over to Windows 7," said Piland. "Microsoft once again has a fairly happy user base, and even Microsoft haters are finding it hard to criticize the product."

Industry pundits that claimed Vista would leave an indelible mark on Microsoft's reputation perhaps didn't consider that in the software business, a company is only as good—or as bad—as its latest product release. Unloved software just doesn't provide an ever-present, tangible reminder of one's faulty buying decision.

Even people that still poke fun at Windows ME, probably Microsoft's worst product release prior to Vista, have pretty much forgotten how annoying it was.

"The software world is one where you can recover more quickly than in other industries, perhaps, by releasing better software quickly," VanAmburg said. "Your chance of rebounding and having better overall customer satisfaction is better."

Asus Eee Keyboard PC priced $500, specifications and photos available

It was initially expected that the price would be between $ 400-$600, and that has come true – the price, for now, seems to be $599 on pre-order, but that might come down when the Asus Eee Keyboard PC is available in retail stores.
The device was first put on display at the Consumer Electronics Show 2010 with the announcement of a February launch. Asus is yet to declare a date when the shipping of pre-ordered Eee Keyboard PC would begin.

The Asus Eee Keyboard PC consists of a full-fledged home entertainment PC fitted into a QWERTY keyboard. Yes, it is a complete PC in the shape of a keyboard! The keyboard comes with a small 5-inch multi-touch LED screen with a resolution of 800×480. The screen can be used as a mousepad to move the cursor. It can also display the user interface that allows users to access music and other content on the device. Quick launch keys and shortcuts can also be displayed on the screen.
How do you use the Asus Eee Keyboard PC? Just plug in any computer monitor, HDTV or projector and use it as you will. The Eee Keyboard PC can stream HD videos with 720p resolution over a 5-metre range through Ultra Wide Band Wireless Display. It also enables high speed and capacity data transfers and serves as a reliable link to another device.
What we were interested in were the specifications of the Asus Eee Keyboard PC. Just how uch horsepower has this baby got? The processor of the keyboard computer is an Atom N270 CPU combined with an Intel 945GSE chipset. The Eee Keyboard PC has 1 GB of internal memory with provision to add upto 32 GB of SSD external memory. Multimedia hardware such as speakers and a mic are also built into the device with an 802.11 bgn WiFi , Bluetooth and a Broadcom decoder for video as well. Three USB 2.0 ports and a HDMI and VGA out are also present in the Asus Eee Keyboard PC. The on-board battery can power the gadget for a period of 4 hours.
That is reasonable specs, for sure. You don’t expect the Asus Eee keyboard PC to run Crysis, I am sure. But the rest it should be able to handle. We will have to wait for the first reviews to come in, though, to make up our minds about the Keyboard PC. We really, really, hope it is good. In 2009, some of the major tech blogs had got their grimy hands on the Asus Eee Keyboard PC for a few minutes, and they were quite amazed.
The Asus Eee Keyboard PC, weighing 1.1 kg comes with an aluminum cover and its underside is coated with UV. Amazon.com has put a price on the product for pre-order at $599.
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Most Haunted Places...

Everyone seems to know of at least one haunted house; as kids there was almost certainly one in our own neighbourhood. This list contains the most famous and most haunted places in the world. If you have had any experiences of a similar nature, feel free to tell us about it in the comments. I should add, before starting, that I am a skeptic; I have written this list for entertainment value.
1. Borley Rectory, Essex, England [Wikipedia]
The haunting of the Borley Rectory during the 1920s and 1930s, is undoubtedly one of the most famous in Britain, as well as being one of the most controversial. The wealth of sightings and experiences by independent witnesses, suggests that although much of the phenomena can be explained in rational terms, a percentage remains which can still be seen as inexplicable at the present time.
2. The Whaley House, California [Wikipedia]
Author deTraci Regula relates her experiences with the house: “Over the years, while dining
across the street at the Old Town Mexican Cafe, I became accustomed to noticing that the shutters of the second-story windows [of the Whaley House] would sometimes open while we ate dinner, long after the house was closed for the day. On a recent visit, I could feel the energy in several spots in the house, particularly in the courtroom, where I also smelled the faint scent of a cigar, supposedly Whaley’s calling-card. In the hallway, I smelled perfume
, initially attributing that to the young woman acting as docent, but some later surreptitious sniffing in her direction as I talked to her about the house revealed her to be scent-free.”
3. Raynham Hall, Norfolk, England [Wikipedia]
aynham Hall is a country house in Norfolk, England. For 300 years it has been the seat of the Townshend family. The hall gave its name to the area, known as East Raynham, and is reported to be haunted, providing the scene for possibly the most famous ghost photo of all time, the famous Brown Lady descending the staircase. However, the ghost has not been reported since the photo was taken. Its most famous resident was Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend (1674-1738), leader in the House of Lords.
4. The Myrtles Plantation, Louisiana [Wikipedia]
The Myrtles Plantation was built in 1796 by General David Bradford and called Laurel Grove. Touted as “one of America’s most haunted homes”, the plantation is supposedly home of at least 12 ghosts.[9] It is often reported that 10 murders occurred in the house, but historical records only indicate the murder of William Winter. Possibly the most well known of the Myrtles supposed ghosts, Chloe (sometimes Cleo) was reportedly a slave owned by Clark and Sara Woodruff. According to one story, Clark Woodruff had pressured or forced Chloe into being his mistress. Chloe and Clark were caught by Sara Woodruff, and Chloe began to listen at keyholes, trying to learn what would happen to her.
5. Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia [Wikipedia]
Designed by John Haviland and opened in 1829, Eastern State is considered to be the world’s first true penitentiary. Its revolutionary system of incarceration, dubbed the Pennsylvania System, originated and encouraged solitary confinement as a form of rehabilitation. On June 1st, 2007 a television show called “Most Haunted” went live to the penitentiary. Part of the group went to Al Capones cell. Two people passed out while “investigating” the prison. One member of the team, Yvette, stated that “this is the most evil place I have ever been.” They claimed to have had contact with spirits but there was no hard evidence that their claims were legitimate.

6. The Tower of London , London [Wikipedia]
Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress The Tower of London, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically simply as The Tower), is an historic monument in central London
, England on the north bank of the River Thames. Perhaps the most well-known ghostly resident of the Tower is the spirit of Ann Boleyn, one of the wives of Henry VIII, who was also beheaded in the Tower in 1536. Her ghost has been spotted on many occasions, sometimes carrying her head, on Tower Green and in the Tower Chapel Royal.

Most Dangerous Cities in the World

1)Caracas Venezuela - Latin America is by far the most dangerous place in the world. If you searched dangerous places on the internet, you would find at least 20 south American countries on the list. With drug cartells, and poverty, Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, ranks the highest for murder and crime in the world. per 100,000 people this city has the highest rate of murders, kidnappings, and rapes in 2009. 130 murders and 537 reported kinappings. They have nicknamed the city the "murder capital of the world". Not to mention Venezula is the world leader in drug trafficing mainly cocaine. The country has increased its poverty level since the 1970's 300%. In In the last 5 yrs Caracas has topped the list for homicides by population. You better be a mobster if you plan on visiting Caracas.
2) Cuidad Juarez, Mexico - This place has a serious problem with robbery, kidnapping, sexual assault and drug-related crimes. 120 killings per 100,000 residents. Cuidad Juarez is located just across the USA border. It has 1.5 million people and a really bad reputation. Recently drug Cartells have started a war against one another, making it very dangerous for travellers. This place is Violent. They are the number two city in the world for murders, most of them drug-related. 50% of all murders in Mexico come from Cuidad Juarez.
3) Mogadishu Somalia - Its really hard to find statistical information on this city, but I know I've seen it on then top of many lists. Even with no data to report on this city, the governments warning to travel here is extremely high.Mogadishu has one of the highest terrorist populations in the world. There is an ongoing civil war going on in Somalias capital, which poses a huge risk to anyone travelling there. Hundreds of people are wounded everyday in Mogadishus empty streets. No one knows how many people are actually killed there, but the numbers would be outrageous. Looting, Prowling, kidnapping, gunfire,etc.. makes Mogadishu one of the top 3 most dangerous cities.
4) Capetown South Africa - Murder and robbery stats have been very high for many years in Capetown. In one year they had 71,500 sexual offenses, 18,400 burglaries and 13,900 business robberies. There are approximatly 50 murders a day in South Africa, and more than 1/2 of those murders are in Capetown. The city is in a huge recession making robberies very common. Capetown is in a great state of poverty, making crime a part of the peoples everyday life. Going out at night is not advised.
5) Bogata - Columbia - Bogata is the main port for drugs and guns coming up from colombia to panama. People get murdered in plain daylight every day. Forget going out at night. you need to be packing heat. It beats most south american cities by far. I think that carrying a machete around on your back, is a very good way to avoid a mugging. It's also easily explained to immigration, as long as there's some jungle around. Speaking the local language and knowing a little about fighting is a good idea, just in case. I would avoid Bogata if traveling to South America.
6) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - If your planning on travelling to Brazil, think twice. Its not a matter of where your mugged its when. When you get off the plane in Rio, they hand you a pamphlet that tells people they should have a no jewelery no wallet policy when they walk around. Crime rates have soared over the past 2 yrs. A drug cartell, called the Pirahnas, reside in Rio, and they are responsible for many murders and abductions. There was 8000 murders in Rio last year, thats close to 20 murders a day. Most of the murders happen in the poverty stricten areas, but the city as a whole is growing in severe poverty problems.
7) Grozny, Chechnya, Russia - There is more Russian Mafia in this place than police. This city is not run by government officials, but by gangsters. A russian is murdered here every 20 minutes. Thats almost 85 murders a day. Sure there is 100's of millions of people in Russia, but thats an astonishing stat. Prostitution and drug trafficing run by the russian crime syndicate or definitly real in this place. Kindnappings, pickpocketters, and rapes, just to name a handful of tests you will face when you visit here. Chechnya is absolutely a third world city. Foreigners should think twice before visiting here.
8) Baghdad, Iraq - It doesn't matter who you are, you're not safe in Iraq. It is a ruined nation that is rittled with crime and violence. A lot of despair in Baghdad. Since the war started in 2003, the US has been in Iraq which has led to a civil war. More than 650,000 civilians have died. Hussein has destroyed this countries reputation. Al-Qaeda and Kurdish rebels, and criminals are involved in violence that goes on everyday. Explosives and mines are a constant threat, as are suicide bombers who have killed thousands. Kidnappings and random killings happen everyday. Since the US got there in 2003, millions of Iraqis have fled to other countries and millions more in Iraq remain displaced. Nuclear devices to poison the people there and the inherent gunfire killing civilians everyday makes Baghdad truly hell on earth.
9) Guatemala City, Guatemala - The government is very corrupt, they get paid off everyday by the drug lords. Guatemala city is a hot spot in South America for drug smugglers, and foreign mobs. There is a high crime rate in this capital city, and many tourists are victims of armed robbery, rape and even murder. Do not walk the streets at night, and forget about your wallet and jewelry. This place is just not safe for the average Joe. Maybe Chuck Norris!
10) Bangkok Thailand- Thailand is the #1 producer of opium and heroin in the world. A major transit for those drugs is the capital Bangkok. Therefore making it unsafe. Last year they had, 20,000 assaults, 13,500 burglaries, and 5,000 murders. That ranks top in south east Asia. The violence and crime due to social unrest makes Bangkok top 10 for sure.

Jordan River, Site of Jesus' Baptism, Could Dry Up

The once mighty Jordan River, where Christians believe Jesus was baptized, is now little more than a polluted stream that could die next year unless the decay is halted, environmentalists said on Monday.
The famed river "has been reduced to a trickle south of the Sea of Galilee, devastated by overexploitation, pollution and lack of regional management," Friends of the Earth, Middle East (FoEME) said in a report.
More than 98 percent of the river's flow has been diverted by Israel, Syria and Jordan over the years.
"The remaining flow consists primarily of sewage, fish pond water, agricultural run-off and saline water," the environmentalists from Israel, Jordan and the West Bank said in the report to be presented in Amman on Monday.

"Without concrete action, the LJR (lower Jordan River) is expected to run dry at the end of 2011."
The river -- which runs 217 kilometers (135 miles) from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea -- and its tributaries are shared by Israel, Jordan, Syria and the West Bank.
In 1847, a U.S. naval officer who led an expedition along the river described navigating down cascading rapids and waterfalls. Today the Jordan is a brackish stream barely a few meters (yards) wide.
A couple of kilometers south of the Sea of Galilee -- which is actually a lake -- a dam cuts off the flow of the river. Just south of the dam, raw sewage gushes from a pipe.
"This is what is today the source of the lower Jordan River," FoEME director for Israel Gidon Bromberg says, pointing to the foul-smelling water. "No one can say this is holy water. No one can say this is an acceptable state for a river this famous worldwide."
A few meters away, saline water -- diverted from salt springs to protect the nearby lake -- flows into the foaming brown mess.
About 100 kilometers downstream, a Russian clad in a white robe immerses himself in the river at a site in Jordan where many Christians believe Jesus was baptized.
Every year, thousands of pilgrims take the plunge in the biblical river despite alarmingly high pollution.
Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian communities along the lower Jordan river -- about 340,000 people in all -- dump raw sewage into the river.
Ironically, if the sewage stops flowing into the river -- which Israel plans to do on its stretch -- the damage could be even greater unless additional measures are taken to reduce the salinity of the water.
FoEME believes the solution lies in releasing huge amounts of fresh water into the river.
The Jordan once had a flow of 1.3 billion cubic meters (45.5 billion cubic feet) a year, but now discharges only an estimated 20 million to 30 million cubic meters into the Dead Sea.
"A new study we commissioned reveals that we have lost at least 50 percent of biodiversity in and around the river due to the near total diversion of fresh water, and that some 400 million cubic meters of water annually are urgently needed to be returned to the river to bring it back to life," said Munqeth Mehyar, FoEME's Jordanian director.
Israel, Syria, Jordan must all return water to the ailing river, the report says.
Israel, having diverted the largest share and being a developed nation, should return a proportionally higher percentage of water, it adds.
Better management could save Israel 517 million cubic meters of water a year and Jordan 305 million cubic meters, part of which could be allocated to the Jordan river, the environmental group says.
Improving the flow of the Jordan River would also go a long way towards saving the Dead Sea, which is in turn withering rapidly.