While the Microsoft Windows 8 Upgrade Key is intended only for upgrades from earlier Windows versions to Windows 8, there could be valid genuine reasons when a user would like to do a clean installation of Windows 8. If a user tries to do a clean install activation using the upgrade key they are shown the error below and no activation occurs. Luckily, if a user owns valid license key for previous Windows version they can use a simple registry hack (I assume legally) which enables them to bypass this activation error message.

Invalid Product Key

"The following failure occurred while trying to use the product key:
Code:
0xC004F061

Description:
The Software Licensing Service determined that this specified product key can only be used for upgrading, not for clean installs."

Gaming is everywhere be it your computer, laptop, TV, cellphones or tablet but now they have a new address - inside man urinals. Captive Media is the world’s first retrofit, networked washroom gaming system with an innovative hands-free control - "A users pee".

These "TOYLETS" features an hi-definition screen, fitted at eye level above the urinal, where it commands the full attention of the user. When not in active use, it plays a mixture of adverts and contents which switches automatically to GAMING mode when a user approaches it. The urinal makes use of contactless sensors to detect the position of a man’s stream allowing them to interact with the game. Dont miss the videos below to check these smart urinals in action.

Microsoft DirectX is the technology which powers graphical aspects of the Windows operating system, not updating DirectX on older operating-system versions is a known Microsoft tactic to push sales of newer products as users must upgrade their operating-systems in order to play newer games coded in updated DirectX framework. We have seen the same with Windows XP and DirectX 11 and this is what will be the case with Windows 8 and DirectX 11.1 update.

However, this time around Microsoft has decided to backport few enhancements in DirectX 11.1 to Windows 7. After, Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 this is some exciting news for Windows 7 users who are satisfied with their operating-system and do not want an upgrade to Windows 8 just to get much needed security and functionality upgrades.

Microsoft offered super cheap Windows 8 Pro upgrade keys and users have been asking whether they can perform a clean installation and activate Windows 8 using the upgrade product key, and the answer is "No" and "Yes" !!

Confused!, well Microsoft will detect whether you upgraded or clean installed and block users from activating using the upgrade product key showing the error as below. But, users can still get the product key working by doing a little registry hack which will enable them to activate - this is not fair (or legal I guess).

After installing Microsoft Windows 8, the very first thing you should be doing is to activate your copy using an genuine product key. Microsoft Windows 8 activation procedure is similar to Windows 7 and all you need to do is to supply the activation application your correct product key and have an active internet connection.

Microsoft Windows 8 will automatically prompt a user via "Action Center" notification as soon as an active internet connection is detected after installation, all a user needs to do is to follow onscreen instructions (as also shown in images below) and complete the procedure which hardly takes few minutes for online verification of your product key with Microsoft licensing servers. Without activation of Windows 8, users are restricted to use all features of the operating-system like Personalization and are nagged from time-to-time.

One of the most popular Siri alternative on Google Android platform - Speaktoit Assistant just got updated with some new features. The virtual assistant mobile app has been one of the most highly competitive spaces in tech for the last year or so. While Siri opened the doors when it launched on the iPhone 4G last year, the Speaktoit Assistant and others started getting traction by Android owners who didn’t want to be left without a virtual assistant of their own. Of course, with Google Now looking to get a slice of the virtual assistant pie, app developers like Speaktoit have to innovate.

Speaktoit appears to be doing just that. The app, which now has over 5 million users worldwide, added some new features this week that users might enjoy. Perhaps most notably, Speaktoit users can also now take advantage of the Daily Briefing feature. This allows users to customize information they want automatically read to them every morning, such as the weather forecast, their agenda, top news stories, etc. Although users could already have gotten this information on previous Speaktoit versions, the Daily Briefing function helps throw compilations of information into one tidy feature.

While Microsoft Windows 8 setup assistant utility provides and excellent way to download and create operating-system bootable installation media (CD/DVD/USB/ISO), it does not provide any means to use an existing .ISO file for creation of these bootable media options.

To create an bootable CD, DVD or USB setup disk from an previously downloaded and saved Windows 8 ISO file follow the steps demonstrated below.

Microsoft has released the Internet Explorer 10 Release Preview upgrade for Windows 7 users, with this announcement of Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 users Microsoft has made clear that it wont leave "Windows 7" users with outdated technology despite all there efforts now being targeted towards promoting Windows 8.

The Internet Explorer 10 has received some great reviews and has delivered good on its promise of a faster, safer and easier web-browsing experience to it's users.

Nike+ FuelBand is an modern age gadget which tracks users daily activities like running, walking, basketball, dancing and many other counting the amount of calories consumed. This data is then used to provide various reports and keeping log of their exercise routines, the wristband also lets users know how much fuel they have left in the tank keeping track of every move they make.

The product also lets users socially share data with each other, and this resulted in some privacy nightmare for an boy; when her girlfriend found out He was doing some "heavy exercise" at 1-2 AM when he was supposed to be at home. While this is an feature "by design" as users opts to share the data and this data sharing only let the girlfriend caught his boyfriend cheating on her.

Heartiest best wishes to all on Indian festival of Deepawali - The festival of lights, and the coming Hindu New Year to all.

Want to send e-greetings to your loved ones here are few great ecard sites to get started.