Over the weekend, CNET ran an unscientific poll inquiring about the level of difficulty in your Windows 7 upgrade experience, and the response we received was undoubtedly strong. Nearly 11,000 people voted, and more than 50 percent of you said your Windows 7 upgrade experience was as easy as pie. (And who doesn't love pie?)

We asked people to rate their upgrade experience from one to five, with one being the easiest and five being the hardest. A total of 5,492 people evaluated the upgrade experience as a one, but the second-most popular answer, at 16 percent, was five, indicating an unnecessarily hard upgrade. Sticking with the pie analogy, that's basically having to do all the cleaning up without getting to eat any.

The third-most popular answer was two, indicating a fairly easy but not flawless upgrade process for 14 percent of voters. The three answer garnered 8 percent of the vote, with 927 votes, and four scored 809 votes, for 7 percent.

Combining the two extremes, then, we can see that more than two-thirds of voters said upgrading was easy or fairly easy, while less than a quarter said the process was hard or unnecessarily difficult. Compared to what most people remember from their Vista experience, that's a dramatic, if anecdotal, change.

If you're planning on upgrading but haven't yet, there are several tools and links that Microsoft has provided to make the change easier. Microsoft has published guides to upgrading from XP to Windows 7 and from Vista to Windows 7, and it has also rounded up its upgrade and installation FAQs onto one convenient page.

The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor is a useful tool for evaluating your current hardware situation, and it gives you a "Windows experience" rating so you can decide whether it can handle Windows 7 before you buy. Windows Easy Transfer will help most users migrate their files and settings, though there have been reports of not all settings getting moved smoothly. It won't migrate programs.

A one-year IOBit Security 360 Pro license normally costs $29.95, but right now it's free.

(Credit: IOBit)

Nothing thrills me like getting something for nothing. Yesterday, for example, I redeemed the last of my birthday coupons, wolfing down a free scoop of Cold Stone ice cream (Fudge Brownie Batter with brownies mixed in--yum).

Today I've rounded up three software freebies that have a combined value of $1,089. Seriously! Take a look:

• IOBit Security 360 Pro Normally $29.95 for a one-year license, this security app is free until Nov. 11. It promises "advanced malware and spyware removal," along with protection from all manner of threats: trojans, keyloggers, worms, etc. I haven't found any reviews to speak of, but the always-free, non-Pro version earned four stars from CNET users. So it must be halfway decent.
• WinX DVD Author Remember WinX DVD Ripper Platinum from last month? (Since expired, sorry.) The same developer, Digiarty Software, is now offering its DVD-authoring tool, normally $29.95, for free until Oct. 31. Use it to turn AVI, MPEG, FLV, and other kinds of video files into menu-enhanced DVDs. I haven't tried it myself, but DVD Ripper Platinum was a little gem.
• Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard This might be the weirdest and most surprising giveaway ever. Microsoft's DreamSpark program is offering this new Windows Server release to eligible high school and college students. Why? To learn IT skills, I reckon. Obviously not everyone needs or wants this OS, which is worth $1,029, but I had to mention it. Anyone who does want it will need a Windows Live ID, a valid student e-mail address, and a way to burn the downloaded ISO file to a CD or DVD.

TrekDesk, the $479 height-adjustable workstation that attaches to a treadmill, joins a growing population of walk-while-you-work desks.

(Credit: TrekDesk)

The TrekDesk press release is packed with all sorts of alarming statistics about adult obesity, as well as alluring statistics about the benefits of walking. The combination is designed to make you want one, and want one now, in spite of the product's $479-sans-treadmill price tag.

Why go for a lovely walk outside, or exercise on an ordinary treadmill inside, when you can walk at your desk--without even sweating? It is "Easy to Do" and "Requires No Extra Effort." (The All Caps mean they Really Mean It.)

TrekDesk is by no means the first attempt to turn sedentary workstations into something less sedentary, and should not be singled out as such. For two years now, the JW Treadmill Desk has boasted a built-in rack for multiple monitors, just in case you don't have enough things going on.

And the aptly named Walkstation's $6,500 price tag seems intended to guilt its owners into years of use to make up for money that could have been spent on such healthy items as gym memberships and fresh produce.

With our increasingly mobile workstations, humans are already eating, driving, and admit it, even using the toilet while working. Now that we can walk while we work, what does a workaholic multitasker have left? Sex?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Friday, October 9, that the H1N1 virus was widespread in 37 states. Fortunately, vaccines are on their way, and seasonal flu shots are currently available (the map on the Flu.gov site helps you find a vaccination center near you).

The best way to avoid bringing the flu bug home with you from the office is to stay out of the office. If you have the flu, do yourself and your coworkers a favor: stay home and rest! Not sure if you have the flu? Check the CDC site for a list and description of the symptoms of both H1N1 and seasonal flu. You'll also find information on the CDC site for taking care of people with the flu, prevention for people at high risk, and travel updates.

One of the best ways to track the flu's spread is via Google Flu Trends, an interactive map that indicates the frequency of flu-related search terms in various countries.

The Google Flu Trends map tracks flu-related searches by country.

(Credit: Google)

Additional information on flu trends is available for the U.S. and several other countries. For the U.S., you can compare yearly flu trends and view data for each state.

For several countries, Google provides more annual and regional flu data.

(Credit: Google)

Link to your office PC for free
In many work situations, there's no substitute for being face to face. But every year it gets easier to get your office work done from outside the office. One way to do so is via Windows' Remote Desktop Connection component, which lets you link to a PC that's on an office network, but only if the machine's running XP Professional or Vista/Windows 7 Professional, Business, or Ultimate.

... Read more

The Financial Decoder Jill Schlesinger back on the show today. Yeah, yeah, it's not technology, but we do mention online banking, so we guess that counts. Anyway, we talk about how credit card companies are like drug dealers, and how to break the habit.

Congress recently passed legislation that would prevent some of the bad practices that credit card companies engage in, but Jill reveals to us that for the most part it won't prevent much. Credit card companies will just have to tell you how they are screwing you. Be prepared for your credit cards to have annual fees and higher rates in the interim.

After the break, Jill warns us to stay away from the credit consolidation, negotiation or settlement companies. According to her, you don't have to pay some lawyer to do what you can do already, by calling the credit card companies yourself or writing them a letter. If you are in the endless debt circle, ask them for a break on the interest rate for a year or two. Keep in mind that the companies want something instead of nothing.

Finally, we talk about how the experiences of growing up in Jewish and Chinese households share so much in common. Namely, our love of mahjong. So much so that we all flip out when we see an automated mahjong shuffling table! Send in your feedback as usual to the404 [at] cnet [dot] com. Jill and Wilson might make a weekly date of their financial and economic talk. Let us know if that might interest you. Look out for Jill's recommendations for credit cards and checking accounts later.

UPDATE: Check out Jill's blog post on MoneyWatch about credit card companies. Plus she gives us a little love.

(Credit: Fujitsu)

With radio frequency identification tags already showing up in school uniforms, it makes sense they'd make their way into other types of uniforms as well.

But what to do when said uniforms are worn in manufacturing plants where garments have to be sterilized with heat so microorganisms and other outside pollutants don't contaminate the goods? Wouldn't the RFID tags turn into goop?

Funny you should ask. Fujitsu has come up with a flexible, ultra high frequency (UHF)-band RFID tag that can withstand temperatures up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (much, much hotter than CNET's New York office, even on a really humid day) and high-pressure conditions of 2 atm.

Fujitsu's 1-gram tag is meant for use in uniforms worn by employees of plants that make products like medical supplies or semiconductors and have to sterilize with extra heat. While most microorganisms can be eliminated at 212 degrees F (the boiling point for water at standard pressure), some organisms have a greater resistance to heat and need to be zapped at higher temperatures.

Manufacturing plants already use flexible UHF-band RFID tags to manage uniform supplies, but Fujitsu says its flexible UHF-band RFID tags can take the heat in a way others can't. And that could translate to more operational efficiency. By utilizing the heat-resistant Fujitsu tags, companies will be able to simultaneously scan up to 100 uniforms after they're sterilized, taking a lot of the hassle out of tracking batches of uniforms by hand.

WD debuts new e-labels

(Credit: Western Digital)

Western Digital just announced their newly redesigned line of external desktop and mobile storage drives, all flaunting a customizable "e-label" that gives users a clear description of their contents. The new My Book Studio, My Passport Elite, and My Book Elite also deliver continuous backup solutions right out of the box with WD's SMartWare software.

1. First up to the plate is the new My Book Studios. Designed with the Mac user in mind, the new external drives feature a FireWire 800 interface that make quick work of larger videos and photos. Since the majority of My Book owners are creative, digital professionals, Western Digital developed e-paper technology similar that shows the owner a customizable display. The e-label also works when the drive is unplugged and also shows how much space is left and security status as well. The new My Book Studio drives come with a three-year warranty and are available now in 500GB ($150), 1TB, 1.5TB, and 2TB ($300) capacities.

Western Digital updates line of hard drives

2. The new My Book Elite drives appeal to the user who simply needs more external storage on their desk space. Like the My Book Studio, these drives also come with the custom e-label as well as two levels of data security: 256-bit hardware encryption and password protection, and WD's SmartWare software. The unique back up software puts your data right in front of you with a visual interface that shows you exactly what is stored on your computer and on the drive. As you create back ups or restore data, the gauges will change color in real-time to show progress, and once you finish the process the first time, you'll never have to perform a complete backup again--the software will backup automatically every time the contents change. The My Book Elite drives come in 1TB ($170), 1.5TB, and 2TB ($280) capacities.

3. The last addition to the new WD offering is an upgrade to their My Passport Elite portables. Again, they come with all the same features, but you also get a convenient USB dock that can stay plugged into a USB port for quick docking. The drives are protected by WD's three-year warranty and will come in three colors: anodized red, anodized blue, and charcoal metallic. Retail prices for the My Passport Elites include the 320GB for $119.99 USD, $159.99 USD for the 500GB, and $169.99 for the 640GB.

Check out the slideshow for more in-depth pictures of the new WD offering, and look for full reviews on CNET.com coming soon!

Remember the Death Clock, that oh-so-depressing site that counts down the time you have left to live?

I won't say this is the exact opposite, but it's in the ballpark: Earn-O-Meter for iPhone tallies up your income, in real-time, while you work.

The idea of this tongue-in-cheek app is to help you endure workday drudgery by showing how much money you're earning while "sitting through pointless meetings, dull conference calls, and inane conversations with nitwits in the workplace." (The developer's words, not mine.)

And, let's face it, wouldn't it be nice if you could emerge from another mind-numbing meeting with the knowledge that you'd pocketed, say, $37 for your trouble?

Of course, depending on your income level, this might be just as depressing as the Death Clock. (I could tell you how much I earned writing this post, but I don't like to cry onstage.)

Anyway, all you do is enter your hourly, daily, or annual wages, then set your workday's start and end times. Then tap the Earn-O-Meter button to see how much you've earned so far today and your "time left to endure."

Earn-O-Meter will run you 99 cents. Obviously it has little practical value, but it is kind of amusing (in an iNap@Work sort of way) and definitely enlightening.

(Credit: Sinapsis)

I know many of you think we bloggers are pimple-faced, bloated nerds who live in our mother's basement and survive on Fritos and Mountain Dew. While that is certainly true for some of us (Hi, Devin!), it's not the case for all of us. In fact, many tech bloggers, myself included, are socially well-behaved people. Who drink beer. A lot of beer.

And sometimes we have occasion to swap our T-shirts for button-downs and ties. But as geeks, we prefer that everything, including clothing, has a utilitarian angle. Thus, the After Office Tie by Argentinian design house Sinapsis.

It's a regular black tie for wearing to conventions, meetings, interviews, parole hearings, and other things bloggers need to attend. But unbutton your jacket and you see the magic: a bottle opener integrated into the tip of the tie. Imagine, no more church keys taking up precious room on your key ring where an eighth USB drive could be clipped!

Sadly, the After Office Tie--an entrant to a Designboom competition whose winner will be announced October 4--is just a concept at this point. Until then, we can wear the ThinkGeek Power Tie. Also, more photos of this handsome be-mulleted man after the jump.