CharlotteTheHarlot

The Strange and Unusual ... 'Flappy Bird' creator confirms he will release the game again, 'but not soon' ( NeoWin 2014-03-19 ) 'Flappy Bird' to rise from the ashes, return to the App Store confirmed ( TechSpot 2014-03-19 ) This whole thing has smelled fishy all along. I now vote for marketing scheme. Man discovers wanted status after Googling himself and surrenders ( NeoWin 2014-03-16 ) Comment of the day Award goes to: "If he was using bing he'd still be on the loose!" Microsoft: Pirated software with malware will cost businesses $500 billion in 2014 ( NeoWin 2014-03-19 ) Just.Too.Stupid.For.Words. You know, by rights this single headline should be enough to wake up any person with an iota of intelligence to the fact that Microsoft and whoever else is connected to this report is a corrupt collection of liars. They should be broken up just on principle. Moreover it tells us that in general there is no self-restraint anymore, no pretense of honesty and truth. It means that even mathematics and statistics have no meaning and even common sense has been discounted. It wasn't that long ago that no-one would voluntarily embarrass themselves by posting or publishing everything that crossed their desk, or their minds. Truthfully the world has turned a corner now. We have crossed the Rubicon to irresponsibility and decadence and without individual self-governing restraint there is no way back. If companies and people are willing to say or do anything simply to suit their own selfish purposes, even at the cost of tarnishing their own seriousness and insulting everyone with a functional brain, humanity is doomed. Move over ancient Greece and Rome, be seeing you soon.

As mentioned first by Jorge ... Mozilla puts Firefox for Windows 8 on hold indefinitely ( NeoWin 2014-03-14 ) Mozilla Scrubs Firefox for Windows 8 Touch ( Maximum PC 2014-03-15 ) Mozilla kills Metro version of Firefox, says shipping the browser "would be a mistake" ( TechSpot 2014-03-17 ) Mozilla Scraps Firefox Metro Over Flat Adoption Rate ( Tom's Hardware 2014-03-17 ) Hehehe! The NeoKids are foaming at the mouth, especially Dot MetroTard who cannot process all the information he/she is receiving lately, all of which indicates a curse to anyone that touches Microsoft Tiles. Naturally NeoWin begins a quest to locate some kind of offsetting news to quiet down their poor sheeple ... Former Firefox for Windows 8 developer: Low test numbers doesn't mean OS is in trouble ( NeoWin 2014-03-18 ) Ummm, well duh! Only NeoKids could be counted on to highlight and latch onto that obvious fact. When the news first broke they kept harping on this "Low Test Numbers" thing ( see the earlier articles ) which is a way to say 'The Sky is not falling!'. Some even said "Make it Anyway" despite the fact that no-one would use it. Meanwhile they throw several hundreds of millions of Windows XP users under the bus at every opportunity. This time around Dot MetroTard gets the first comment in: ""If you build it, they will come..." Just ask the guys over at VideoLAN...". Sorry, they did build it, and no-one came. There is a lot of hypocrisy as usual here, considering that almost none of the MetroTards would consider using anything except MSIE anyway. They are simply not that smart. Even if a perfect web browser were created, one so bombproof that it could never be compromised, the 'Tards would still use MSIE. It's that reverse Darwinism thing again. But wait, in the most coincidental of ironic timings ever seen Mozilla simultaneously shoots its own foot in grand Microsoft fashion ... Is suicide is contagious? ... Firefox 'Australis' UI revamp now in Mozilla's beta test channel ( NeoWin 2014-03-21 ) That's the bureaucratic version of p!ssing on someone's head and telling them it's raining! Making matters worse the bozos are using fascist tactics over in their forums to clamp down on complaints, see here! The world has gone mad indeed. Over at NeoWin some of the NeoKids once again demonstrate their desire to dictate what other people's computers look like, and also their innate talents for bootlicking. For example, Dot MetroTard wants desktop Firefox, something he clearly will never use, to look even more like Microsoft Tiles: "I'd love to see a Stylish script that squares off those ugly rounded tabs." Apparently it's not yet ugly enough already! The leadoff 'Tard comment was from a young sheeple in-training: "It's called change people, deal with it." Oh yeah, people are going to deal with it alright. But does not this whole thing beg another question ... why are the Playskool fanboys are having such a hard time "dealing with" the changes underway to accommodate desktop users. Whoa, burnnnnn. Awards time. The first place grand prize for sheeple bah-ing and bleating goes to the fanboy in this exchange ... Ummm, sorry. That is most certainly *not* 'taking it like a man'. Listen up fanboy. By bending over, grabbing your ankles with a smile on your face you are doing the exact opposite - taking it like a woman. Try again sweetie.

Meanwhile, in the Executive Lounge ... Seagate CEO Stephen J. Luczo departs Microsoft's board of directors ( NeoWin 2014-03-21 ) Nothing to see here, move along. Or, then again. Microsoft's Chief Product Officer of Xbox Marc Whitten departs company ( NeoWin 2014-03-18 ) Xbox executive Marc Whitten heading to Sonos after 14 years with Microsoft ( TechSpot 2014-03-18 ) Here is the last known photo of the Xbox dude and Terry Myerson seen together on the Redmond campus ... Bill Gates: The Rolling Stone Interview ( Rolling Stone 2014-03-13 ) Bill Gates: 'Microsoft would have been willing to buy' WhatsApp ( NeoWin 2014-03-14 ) Warning, make sure you have insulin ready when you read this sweetness and light puff piece from the incalculably useless Rolling Stone magazine. It reminds me of some of the stuff written in the early 1980's by equally star-struck phony journalists. When is the last time you even touched any code Bill? You've been riding that alleged BASIC coding feat for decades, all the while allowing all manner of crap code to make it into products. And 'aesthetics' is the last thing you should be scoffing at anybody over. The only time Microsoft software actually looks good is totally by accident. Pathetic on so many levels. Staying in the country would be a fatal mistake, literally. But what is most offensive is that he says Snowden should do civil disobedience, which is the very last thing that billg himself would ever do. The coward will never stand up against the onslaught of attacks on the citizens yet who on Earth is in a better position than him to at least try? Did he refuse PRISM? No, he jumped in to become the first and primary partner. Need a backdoor into Windows, sure, no problem! Has Gates so much as even raised a concern about all the revelations since? Of course not. The revelations are exposing him and there are more to come, this is why he hates the guy. Mostly he is merely posturing to remain a favored public servant, but at the core of people like him is an aristocratic self-image status and a belief in keeping the uppity serfs under control. Cowards will never risk a thing for someone else, in billg's case it is simpler and easier to buy a fresh reputation by creating a tax sheltering foundation and tossing some money around. Lord knows there's plenty of dummies around to buy it. The thin air at the top of the world has killed many of his brain cells. I take this comment very seriously. Middle class people like myself wish we only paid 50% ( which in itself is halfway to the literal definition of slavery already ), but after 25%-35% Fed, 15% SS, 9% State, all of which are calculated from the gross and taken off the top - you already net that 50% that Gates speaks of. Then the hits come from property and school and sales and city/local out of the remainder. And all this before get to worry about heating/power/utility, insurance, mortgage/rent, food. Cap that off with the incalculable upcoming medical tax and it's pretty much game over for everyone except this dirtbag Bill Gates who is fine with it all since he can afford it. And finally, should any of us manage to save anything until the end, Gates says sure, let the government come in and take yet another bite in estate taxes. I hope he burns in hell. The section of the interview on health care gets even creepier ( and yes, further off-topic ) particularly when he questions the wisdom of spending lots of money on elderly people's treatment, exposing his real true beliefs of an cold, calculating and thoroughly immoral future like Soylent Green. Well, for us anyway, but not him and the other aristocrats. The nobility is always exempt from decrees of the state. Gates goes on gleefully demonstrating his classic God complex in other subjects, but I have to mention my personal pet peeve, and the main reason I distrust him so vehemently - Polio. The interviewer gives him multiple opportunities to do so but Gates never manages to give any credit to Salk and others, instead choosing to discuss getting those last few countries to get their acts together so he can get a Nobel or something. Gates is essentially trying to mop up those last few percent that remain after the real pioneers, without computers, did all the hard work. You know, actually he is doing what Microsoft often does by taking credit for other people's work ( e.g., original DOS ). I don't care how cynical this sounds but I think this was entirely calculated and fits the evidence and matches his track record. When you set up a trust or foundation on this scale you need some wins, and none is as high profile as a 'Gates cures Polio' headline and ticker-tape parade. It kills several birds with one stone - it's easy ( compared to Flu/AIDS/etc ), it makes the foundation look legitimate, it makes you look philanthropic rather than a predatorial monopolist. It is obviously contrived IMHO. I'm not one of those that worships anyone unskeptically, especially when the object of worship can do anything he wants. I have more respect for Paul Allen buying sports teams than those like Gates buying himself a reputation. He is simply following the exact same playbook of many robber barons of the past ( Carnegie/Morgan/Vanderbilt/etc ) and in modern times ( Milken ) who amass incredible wealth, get in trouble, achieve no respect and set about buying that too. In truth, Gates's wealth ( including the 30 billion allegedly given to his foundation ) is really mostly from self-issued shares of stock driven up by years of fast-talking snake oil plus manipulations of the operating systems monopoly. The oil and steel barons at least created something tangible and thoroughly improved lives ( oil/fuel/heat ) and many things that survive to today ( steel/structures/ships ). It is very doubtful that any software will make such a long lasting mark on the human condition, especially considering their current direction of dumbing down the population to chimpanzee levels. (End Rant!)

Microsoft Controversy of the Week ( mentioned by MagicAndre1981 ) ... Ex-Microsoft programmer arrested and charged with leaking Windows 8 code ( NeoWin 2014-03-19 ) Ex-Microsoft employee arrested for stealing and leaking copies of Windows 8 ( TechSpot 2014-03-20 ) Former Microsoft Employee in Hot Water for Allegedly Leaking Windows 8 Trade Secrets ( Maximum PC 2014-03-20 ) Alleged Windows 8 leaker suspended from his current job ( NeoWin 2014-03-20 ) FBI? Oh great. Now you see what lobbying buys them - a personal police force that is not available to the other 99.99% of companies, at their disposal to help keep Microsoft employees in line. This is not why we have a federal government and Constitution. Friggin ridiculous! Trade secrets once again treated as a federal offense, yet offshoring jobs isn't? Monopolistic tactics isn't? OEM backroom deals isn't? Well what do you expect from our corrupt DoJ who also waste time and money going after baseball players. On a lighter note, shouldn't Microsoft be giving the guy some kind of award for releasing Windows 8 and somehow finding recipients who were actually interested enough to accept it? I suppose now someone will blame the "leaker" for the whole 10% adoption fiasco rather than blaming themselves for producing it in the first place. ... Oh wait, here's a variation on that idea already, as posted by an actual Softie ... There's a rancid stink of rationalization all over this comment. So that's the reason why teams at Microsoft cannot work together? The secret leaker is the cause of it? Has nothing to do with the insanity of backstabbing and buttkissing and stack ranking quotas. Okay got it. Now wonder this company is screwed, they employ sheeple. Well I guess his comment kinda makes in one twisted way: After the voluntary exodus of all the actual intelligent employees, followed by the quota terminations of those not willing to buttkiss, it follows that all that remains would be the hive mind in all its glory. Was 'Canouna' the unnamed blogger involved in the Windows 8 leak probe? ( NeoWin 2014-03-20 ) Microsoft snooped through blogger's email to find source of Windows 8 leaks ( NeoWin 2014-03-20 ) Here's the actual quote from the Microsoft document admitting their spying ... Proving that Microsoft can screw up anything, they have now managed to expose themselves as breaking into a non-employee email account. The thread starts off with this exchange ( Dot MetroTard in red ) ... You see how even after his denseness is penetrated he still rationalizes away the computer crime that Microsoft perpetrated. And that's just the beginning. The comments eventually switch over to a chorus line of fascist cheerleading as the sheeple goosestep into line. This 'Tard pretty much sums it up in a single sentence ... One commenter reminds them of a good point in light of the infamous Scroogle campaign hypocrisy ... And one of the real dead-ender contender sheeple adds this ... Ah, so which is it then? Is it or isn't it encrypted? And does Microsoft have access to encryption keys *or* can they somehow brute force crack *or* utilize a back door? The non-employee recipient whose email was hacked by Microsoft apparently resides in France which gives another angle to this story. It didn't take long for the crap to hit the fan ... Microsoft Software Leak Inquiry Raises Privacy Issues ( New York Times 2014-03-20 ) Oh really Mr. Vice President ( of a software company )? You'll defer to an outside lawyer, an ex-judge in your hip pocket? Wow, that ought to impress everybody. This is at the minimum an egregious escalation of bad precedent. In fact they just admitted something substantial that we already suspected all along. The whole government spook thing with court orders is a complete farce, if the spooks only need to ask Microsoft to do it instead. Now the whole PRISM thing makes perfect sense. The reality is that whatever concept of privacy that anyone used to hold is now officially dead and buried. No amount of sleight of hand of issuing totals of "law enforcement requests" or similar phony concerns mean squat. Betting the whole company on the cloud may yet prove to be the most fatal calculation they have made, that is if the sheeple ever wake up to these facts and leave them high and dry. And the story has grown legs long enough to officially say that Microsoft could miss the side of a barn shooting from the inside ( they would hit their feet first, and then their head ) ... Microsoft admits snooping on blogger's Hotmail account to find Windows 8 leak ( TechSpot 2014-03-21 ) Microsoft Alters Outlook and Hotmail Policy After Snooping a Blogger's Inbox ( Maximum PC 2014-03-21 ) Microsoft to add new policies that will limit internal Hotmail-Outlook.com searches ( NeoWin 2014-03-21 ) Oh, and here is a infamous quote to remember the next time Microsoft runs a Scroogle ad ... Thank you for saying that clearly! It would make a fine tee-shirt or better yet, public service infographics. Funny thing how that excuse from Microsoft about 'not needing a warrant to search their own servers' is suddenly the excuse du jour at NeoWin. Nobody over there was using that a few days ago when they were marching in no-questions-asked lockstep approval of the spying. Microsoft gets on the defensive and suddenly so do the NeoChildren. But you know what no-one is really saying? Why didn't Microsoft hand it over to the FBI and not check the mail until the FBI got a warrant? Huh? They clearly acted above the law that stands in place for you or I, or the FBI ironically. One MPC Commenter sums it up rather nicely ..."Good to know, I'm going to go down to my properties I own and start looking through my tenant's belongings so I can kick them out if i find anything in there I don't like. My property after all, they have no expectation of privacy." Naturally a MicroZealot disagrees and says that's not comparable because Hotmail is "free" ( where do these people come from? ) as if rent/subscription vs loan/favors mark the difference between rights and no rights. And it continues! ... Here's what Microsoft charges the FBI to access customer data ( TechSpot 2014-03-21 ) Leaked emails show amount of money Microsoft gets from government info requests ( NeoWin 2014-03-21 ) Wow! Sounds like a very profitable business, almost exactly like Google selling customer data to advertisers. Well that's ironic. And for double the taxpayer pleasure we must remember it is us who are paying for this NOT the FBI. NeoWin and Microsoft seem to not understand this concept when they say "charges the FBI". Of course the cheerleaders can't begin to figure any of this out, most are saying "reasonable admin fee" and the like. One wonders what it will take! Here is the hands down winner of the Cognitive Dissonance Award ... Seriously?! The human race is screwed for sure. Depending on this kid's gender, I have two suggestions: Vasectomy or Tubal ligation. Do your part for humanity please before its too late.

The Windows XP FUDpocalypse continues! ... Microsoft Store offers $50 gift card with select new PCs to help ditch Windows XP ( NeoWin 2014-03-14 ) NOTE: misleading title by a sneaky author who is trying to drum up hits ( yes, that's how they get paid ) using the term "Windows XP" since it works on NeoKids pretty much the same way pouring bleach on a dirty basement floor causing all manner of slithering critters to come out of hiding. In truth, this offer does NOT have any tie-in to Windows XP at all, it is merely another example of a Windows 8 Crazy Eddie firesale. ... But hold on now .... That didn't last long at all! ... One week later ... Microsoft sweetens XP upgrade offers as support deadline nears ( TechSpot 2014-03-21 ) Microsoft Store now offers $100 off new PCs for trading in a Windows XP machine ( NeoWin 2014-03-21 ) I wonder how many of the NeoKids will figure they can do the same buy firing up an old computer or running XP in VM ( and how much you wanna bet some of them will scam their beloved Microsoft by doing exactly this ). For everyone else, this is still no deal at all. Knocking $100 off the price of any modern piece of crap just brings the total closer to where the number used to be before this train wreck operating system was released in the fall of 2012. As predicted, crappier computers costing more money than they did two years ago ( quite a feat, almost unprecedented in the entire computer age ), running an operating system that drives people batsh!t crazy. Many banks paying Microsoft big bucks to support Windows XP-based ATMs ( NeoWin 2014-03-14 ) Same author, again using "Windows XP" as fly bait to get page hits ( that's how they get paid ), incorrectly using ATMs in the context of Windows XP end-of-support Armageddon. These things are not even a part of the "usage" stats, there is no way they even show up on browser statistics. Anyone that attempts to associate Windows XP lack-of-support for placebo security fixes is either retarded or criminal. To think that every patch Tuesday all the ATMs get their biweekly fix of Microsoft benevolence is insanity. 10 percent of U.S. government PCs will still use Windows XP after support ends ( NeoWin 2014-03-17 ) Same author, once again using "Windows XP" as lure to drum up page hits ( that's how they get paid ). That last bolded part is meant to elicit an "Oh no! How irresponsibly dangerous!" response from the NeoKids and other special people. I'm starting to think that they actually believe that once a computer is fired up with Windows that even if the thing has no Wi-Fi/Cell hardware and is completely physically unplugged from the network it still magically can get compromised through thoughtwaves. Seriously, I believe education has descended this far. They also believe without the comforting feeling of an assurance of "support" from Microsoft that the world will collapse around them. No AppleTard was ever this retarded. Avast Warns of Widespread Security Issues Once Microsoft Abandons XP ( Maximum PC 2014-03-17 ) AVAST: Cutting off Windows XP support is a "big mistake" ( NeoWin 2014-03-19 ) And another one! The same author, again using "Windows XP" as bait to hook some SheepleFish to drum up page hits ( did I mention that's how they get paid ). Shameless. That's pretty pathetic already, but what do we make of this example of Idiocracy ... Wait wut!?! The MPC author constructed that painful sentence with "users who are at risk" and then concatenating in the separate topic of ATMs and doctor offices. While it is certainly possible to connect one of these latter things to the Internet and Windows Update, this would NOT be a normal circumstance. Therefore, the author must be intentionally misleading or terminally stupid, quite like tabloid newspapers or sportswriters. Either that, or we have indeed reached end-of-days where the people around us have grown so dumb that society and the world has very little time left. EDITORIAL: Windows XP: What will likely happen on April 9th ( NeoWin 2014-03-19 ) Not to be left in the dust, the infamous Brad Sams jumps onto the Windows XP FUDpocalypse bandwagon ... Really Brad, even computers that are offline? You must have meant to say "In short, your Internet connected machine" right? But even that is not true. What about those behind hardware firewalls and those not using MSIE? Or those not owned by short bus retards? Is Windows XP really the significant characteristic among security issues, or is it these other things? Don't bother trying to answer that though, the linchpin for your entire worldview will become detached and it will all cave in. Ah, so that's how it works, eh? No Is it not possible Brad for a later version to be more feature-rich and more bloated? Of course it is That is the norm whether it is Office or whatever. When Win9x was cohabitating the world with WinXP this nonsense argument began. WinXP was slower than a three-legged turtle compared to Win9x on the same hardware, and it was because it did more, MUCH more. Just the file indexing alone blows the performance right off the charts, and has been in every succeeding version. All anyone needs to do today is run ProcMon and see for themselves the CPU hit in later versions of Windows which now have almost innumerable transactions per second from countless tasks and services. But why let a few facts get in the way of simpleton logic. They actually believe there is a performance boost from using more bloated software because it somehow magically creates performance the same way others believe in over-unity energy or perpetual motion machines. I guess this is simple proof that there will always be a place for scammers in the world, there are so many suckers born every minute. Yeah well, that's a load of crap. This lie wouldn't even exist if all those daily hacks into stores, banks and websites were forced to specify the operating systems involved ( and also the security software providers ). Guess what those disclosures would point to. Yep, Windows 7, the most used operating system. But by all means Brad, stay comfortable in your meme. I guess it would hurt his brain to find out that all the ransomware I have cleaned has been on, wait for it, Windows 7. But carry on Brad, spreading FUD, lies and hype. It really is notable that it has only taken 14 years for Y2K media abuse to already have been flushed down the memory hole. ( DIGRESSION: Y2K *was* indeed a serious issue and was successfully mitigated, but the world was far less connected at the time and would be far worse today, however I am only talking here about the media abuse with sensationalism aspect of the press who can always be counted on to screw it all up. The real lesson from Y2K is as a statement about how stupid we humans really are. Apparently no-one used Y2K as an educational opportunity to learn to use 4-digit year dates, or to specify them most significant digit first, and now we are right back where we started. I recall sorting the medication of a family member in 2001 and could not make heads or tails from the dates, and it also happens with food, and chemicals and everything else EVEN TODAY. ) Brad Sams, too young to know anything. 2001 you say? Well riddle me this Batman, how old is Skype? For a real mind bender tell me the ages of these three: Vista SP1, Windows 2008, Windows XP SP3. But you have your meme. Keep comparing Windows XP RTM with the latest crap that Microsoft poops out. We "know" no such thing. However, we do know that "Windows" itself is a risk since it is at the core of something like 92% of all virus incidents. We also know that the sheeple themselves are a risk and I would say they account for 99% of all incidents. Furthermore, if only 6.6% of NeoWin hits are from Windows XP users then I can say one more thing as well - NeoWin itself has a problem. It looks like they can not even match the 30%+ average that Windows XP sustains in general internet usage browser stats, meaning that NeoWin is not taken seriously by most people on the Internet, especially experts and veterans and is now a niche website catering to sheeple and 'Tards. That low percentage should be a warning to Steven, but he is apparently comfortable in his little sandbox full of NeoKids. EDIT: typo

Phewwww. I just finally got caught up on all these posts ... Great ones : I somehow missed all of them. The entire article can be read here: http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-1-10-americans-html-std-study-finds-20140304,0,1188415.story#axzz2v1PZtzMZ I think I now understand how some people really think that Windows 8/8.1 is so great. But, to be fair, every industry has its inside acronyms that if you are not aware of them are nothing but Greek to you. Just thought everyone might enjoy a chuckle. Oh man! Humanity is doomed. Take off. Nuke from orbit. It's the only way to be sure Even more on there site (click on "explore data") http://www.skyboximaging.com/ Well these folks are sure missing a golden opportunity with that missing plane.

I would test with a known working Power Supply now. It's good to have spares lying around for just this type of situation. As mentioned above, $40 should get you a 400 W minimum, NewEgg often his medium quality 500-600 W for that same price. There is always at least one on sale that is worth having on the shelf. ADDED: don't forget to clean that well with air. Also do all the chips on the motherboard.

To be honest it looks like caked dust clinging to the adhesive, but I can't be sure. I would nail that thing with canned air, a lot of it. Be sure to hold the fan blades when spraying the air to stop them from spinning and really clean out around the CPU and caps. And then take a higher resolution photo ( more pixels ), That one is in focus but even zoomed it is inconclusive. I don't see that misshapen cap in the new photo, is was probably an illusion. Just saying it might not be bad. Use your eyeballs ... are those caps leaking with a brownish/blackish goo, or is it just the crud and dust?

Those are capacitors. The picture is too blurry to be sure but one looks misshapen which is a bad sign for caps. Be aware they usually use a thick glue which is clear or white around caps and some other components to prevent any movement. Some folks mistake this for leaking. Please get a better photo ( you don't need to zoom in, that can be done by us. Instead take a high resolution picture with higher megapixel setting, with the "auto" turned off for longer exposure and no flash. Make sure it is in focus. You need to either hold the camera steady or set it down or use a tripod. ).

Our Government Protectors hard at work ( continued ) ... Snowden Says 'Many Other' Spy Programs Remain Secret, For Now ( US News 2014-03-07 ) That's not all they missed apparently since the recent news is: "MALAYSIA AIRLINES loses contact with flight carrying 239 en route to Beijing". That was breaking last weekend. UPDATE: as I write this they "may have located the plane finally, after 5 days.". FIVE days. UPDATE AGAIN: scratch that report. They have no clue where the plane is. Apparently all those high-flying long-duration drones are too busy spying on the taxpayers that paid for them instead of looking over the South China seas for survivors. It is stunning to watch short-duration choppers and planes deployed doing this job. It's positively criminal. So the spooks that are preoccupied swallowing up all the world's data miss this probable hijack and those alleged stolen passports, meanwhile the birds that the spooks use against us looking for pot plants and other nonsense can't spot a jumbo jet. Great work! Edward Snowden: 'We Need a Watchdog That Watches Congress' ( National Journal 2014-03-10 ) Snowden's video appearance at a security conference in Texas led to lots of bloviating from our brain-dead politicians and our benevolent government protectors naturally. I have to point out this great comment exchange though. Read the reply carefully! ... Absolutely classic! Clever too. : Lots of sheeple in that thread unfortunately. They literally want the spooks to take out Snowden so everything would go back to normal and they could get back to sleeping peacefully and blissfully. Dumb @ss sheep. Too Much Information: Canceled Security Talk Deemed Too Risky ( Tom's Hardware 2014-03-10 ) Well that's not suspicious at all. How the NSA Plans to Infect Millions of Computers with Malware ( FirstLook 2014-03-12 ) Possibly the latest Snowden leak via Greenwald and this one is a doozy ... Go that? They create botnets, hijack IP addresses ( probably through DNS infiltration ), create botnets, identity theft, send spam, distribute malware, steal data, operate webcams and mics, and run DDoS attacks. In short they are actually doing every possible computer crime in existence, bar none. There is a phrase for that: above the law. I don't recall the Constitution ( written by the States and the People ) granting the Feds the right to be above the law. We're seriously going to need a slate of new Amendments and the first one must hogtie the Feds to being bound by all laws that apply to the People with no exceptions. Then we can start sending them to prison for all the felonies they are rampantly committing 24/7 each and every day.

Our Government Protectors hard at work ... British surveillance reportedly collected webcam images from millions of Yahoo users ( The Verge 2014-02-27 ) UK spy agency GCHQ stored millions of images from Yahoo users' webcams ( NeoWin 2014-02-27 ) British spy agency GCHQ collected millions of screenshots from Yahoo webcam chats ( TechSpot 2014-02-27 ) Oh lookee here, our pet spooks in the UK are exposed once again doing the things our own spooks are prohibited from doing. Who'da thunk it. As I've said before, this is one of the most dangerous revelations seen so far - the USA and UK are essentially using each other to bypass each others' laws. Of course they are grabbing webcam images, anything that can be done is being done. That is the lesson we have learned. I'll bet that Yahoo who has a popular messenger program knew about this and it was one of the things they objected to unsuccessfully. On a brighter note, most of the usual suspects speaking about "Tinfoil Hats" are AWOL from the comments at NeoWin at this time. Maybe it was that part in the quote about stealing webcam photos of: "1.8 million users" in just two years. Do you think they understand yet what's actually going on? That this is just the small tip of the iceberg that Snowden managed to capture? The original story from The Verge quoting Yahoo really is enlightening as it exposes the default position the tech companies are getting comfortable with - pointing fingers at the government and the laws in an effort to absolve themselves of any responsibility. These same companies spare no expense at promoting themselves as safe and secure and cash in on massive advertising while hanging their customers out to dry. Perhaps in the UK this kind of thing is legal, but every single case over here is at the very minimum questionable and more likely highly illegal. The companies DO have the Constitution to fall back on but none of the big boys apparently have the stones to press these cases. That is the scary part and should be the thing that wakes up the sheeple from their blissful slumbering. The comments seen in these articles do indicate a grudging but slowly evolving realization of the scope of the spying. The word "tinfoil" is getting thrown around less and less, and naturally the obnoxious holdouts are found in NeoKids. GCHQ considered using Microsoft's Kinect for surveillance: Snowden leaks ( NeoWin 2014-03-01 ) What really jumps out of this article is the force with which Microsoft is denying knowledge or involvement here, something not seen in most of the spying articles. I'd bet that this is far from unknown to them, they most likely know full well the utility that Kinect would serve to spooks and cops everywhere. They most likely know exactly how the unit can easily be compromised and know exactly what to watch for and most likely have sniffed out cases where spooks have already done it but cannot talk about it. Their statement really has plenty of wiggle room, even that last part: "We're not aware of any surveillance activity." It's easy to NOT be aware when you know what to look for and then make your policy to NOT look for it. That's how you do it. Once again, if something can be done, you can take it to the bank that it will be done. We should now throw away the tinfoil and recalibrate our understanding to the new normal - every single thing that is possible is occurring. Every laptop, cellphone, webcam, microphone, sensor are potential eyes and ears for spooks. Big Brother in fiction had nothing whatsoever on our real-life government protectors. Spy game: Local police tap cell phones. ( Florida Watchdog 2014-03-06 ) This is how the next precedent takes hold. And this is but one, single, solitary, tiny little police department out of the tens of thousands we are riddled with coast to coast, before you even consider all the larger overlapping jurisdictional forces at the State and Federal level. Do the math, the spying is now completely institutionalized, the culprits have no oversight and apparently have no inclination to believe they require authorization. George Orwell ( not to mention our own Founding Fathers ) are spinning in their graves. And the sheeple keep munching on snacks in their fields of bliss ( not the commenters in this article's thread though ). Frustrated Facebook Founder Calls Obama About NSA Spying ( Tom's Hardware 2014-03-13 ) Hey Zuck, nice try at attempting to limit the obvious damage all the leaks are doing. You wanna impress us? Defy them and spill all the beans. What can they do? You have billions at your disposal you coward. They could try to imprison you for a while but you would win in the end. The Big Data shills are all mega-cowards, especially when compared to all those flag draped coffins buried in the ground in our cemeteries that died fighting for the Constitution. Even more stark is the contrast with our original founders like Washington, Jefferson, Adams etc, who were very wealthy in their day and committed treason, putting themselves in jeopardy of execution rather than sitting comfortably in their mansions sitting the war out. They were courageous, these clowns are not. All we hear are carefully selected words, memos, complaints to the government, barely nibbling at the edges of this crisis, and in truth it is all self-serving, meant only to get customers to spend money on your business. Zuck you Mark.

The Cloud is your friend ( no really it is! ) ... Millions of Twitter users' passwords mistakenly reset in a system error ( NeoWin 2014-03-04 ) The cloud is your friend. Nothing to see here, move along. Holy Data Breach, Batman! Hackers Hit Comixology ( Tom's Hardware 2014-03-06 ) The cloud is your friend. Nothing to see here, move along. Twitter currently suffering from service outage (Update: It's back up) ( NeoWin 2014-03-11 ) The cloud is your friend. Nothing to see here, move along. Some Xbox One users can't sign on to Xbox Live right now, 'Titanfall' not to blame (Update: Back up) ( NeoWin 2014-03-11 ) The cloud is your friend. Nothing to see here, move along. WhatsApp security flaw reportedly leaves your private messages at risk ( TechSpot 2014-03-12 ) The cloud is ... well you know. New FreedomPop Phone Promises to Preserve Your Privacy ( Tom's Hardware 2014-03-06 ) At least there is this one tiny sliver of good news to offset the thousand other stories. Will it ever see the light of day? I hope so. By all logic this area should become a huge growth market. Let's just hope we can figure out which products are real and which are actually honeypots built by the spooks ( don't even try to doubt that they are doing this! ). Vodafone Germany starts rolling out SIM card based encryption ( NeoWin 2014-03-12 ) Make that two slivers of good news. No Such Agency was not available for comment.

The Cloud is your friend ... Dropbox's terms of service changes met with anger in user comments ( NeoWin 2014-02-21 ) Further manifestations of the danger of precedents set, accepted by the sheeple, and then others follow Microsoft's lead of changing EULAs to serve themselves and screw the customers. As certain as death and taxes, one can always count on Hollywood and big corporate players ( plus those that aspire to be ) to inevitably copy their peers. Big Media maintain huge swimming pools full of circling lawyer sharks and can't help themselves from screwing over everyone. The biggest lesson however, should be that the most dangerous component is that made up of enablers, who forever plant themselves firmly in the position of accepting anything and everything despite having been warned of the ramifications repeatedly. It's a brave new world where the lemmings sheeple voluntarily walk off the edge of the cliff. Google, Microsoft agree: Cloud is now safe enough to use ( CNet 2014-02-26 ) Haven't read much about this meeting, but I highly doubt that Bruce Schneier is as onboard as they describe ( God forbid he gets bought off and jumps over to the darkside ) . I certainly have no doubt that Microsoft and Google are in damage control mode though, hence this stupid conference. Paul Thurrott also mentioned it ( and the latest GCHQ story ) here. Microsoft received over 72,000 law enforcement info requests in 2013 ( NeoWin 2014-03-08 ) Requests from public law enforcement agencies, not spooks. And naturally that doesn't even touch upon the stuff that spooks and other groups simply take without asking. So Microsoft ( and all the others ) seem to believe that this meaningless bit of information makes everything peachy? Give me a break. The only thing it tells us is that everyone from the Feds on down see Microsoft and all companies including the ISP's as information sources of first resort, where they should be the last resort after exhausting every traditional non-invasive method available. This is the new paradigm. No privacy, don't even be fool enough to expect it. Federal Reserve has no authority to regulate Bitcoin, chairwoman says ( TechSpot 2014-02-28 ) But they sure would like to. Anyone watching CNBC or FBC the past couple of days weeks probably saw all the spoiled talking heads badmouthing Bitcoin. They are seriously jealous in that they failed to ride this wave themselves and now want to make sure no-one else does it again. It's so disgusting to see these creeps rooting for any more government intrusion into private property. They are the 'nobles' and the 'aristocracy' of yore, enablers for the feudal system as long as they get their piece of the action. After seeing these malcontents demand this, and the politicos doing the same ( not to mention the fanboys at the link ) I am now firmly rooting for disruptive pseudo-currencies in whatever form they take. Meetup website hit with DDoS attacks, hackers asked for $300 to stop it ( NeoWin 2014-03-04 ) IMHO we can no longer assume that these events are due to criminal hackers, even though the facts here ( extortion and ransom ) make it appear so. If I were a deep black spook agency I would use these very methods to establish bona fides as a black hat hacker or random script kiddie. Of course the real irony is this: there is no real difference between them, morally, ethically, criminally or otherwise. Target received multiple security alerts when Black Friday hack started but did nothing about it ( TechSpot 2014-03-13 ) That is going to be one expensive mistake, and I don't mean the actual money stolen. Wait until the lawyers get through with them. Hey, I have a question: Can we also hammer Big Data like Microsoft and Google when they screw up?

Computer Insecurity ... Skype now available worldwide for Outlook.com users, adds HD video calls ( NeoWin 2014-03-04 ) Read this quote using Alex Trebek voice ... ( cue Jeopardy theme song ) Oh oh oh I know this one Alex... How do you retrofit spook capabilities into every computer that uses a Microsoft account. Yes! I'll take Computer Insecurity for $500, Alex. By the way, Paul Thurrott has a recent column describing the insanity of Windows 8 trying to force users into using Microsoft Account. I mentioned the increasing amounts of calls I have gotten since the holidays and this documents the fiasco. Don't get me wrong, Thurrott is still onboard with this kooky idea but he does show both sides, with lots of images. I think he might be hawking a new book or something. At least most of his commenters seem to understand the scale of this disaster. Researchers announce they have bypassed Microsoft's EMET ( NeoWin 2014-02-25 ) Microsoft releases technical preview of EMET 5.0 ( NeoWin 2014-02-26 ) So, any chance that 'Attack Surface Reduction' will just pop up a message box suggesting the use of any alternative web browser other than MSIE? Probably not. Wi-Fi-Hopping Malware Behaves Like Actual Virus ( Tom's Hardware 2014-03-03 ) Kinda neat theoretical artificial intelligence in action here. Shades of skynet. As is mentioned in the article, it is actually a worm, not a malware at all, it does not enter the network and collects Wi-Fi passwords that it cracks. This one is definitely worth watching. 300,000 routers hijacked, modified in malicious attack ( TechSpot 2014-03-04 ) ( NOTE: THIS IS UNRELATED TO THE PREVIOUS ARTICLE ) Although they do not describe the process and simply and lazily blame the router firmware, you can bet that the actual means used was malware on the local PC manipulating the router settings using the retard facilities of uPnP. A router with uPnP and "easy setup" functions disabled and a password set can not be manipulated like this. These safe settings used to be defaults all around, but routers are being shipped with sheeple in mind, not to mention Windows itself is setting uPnP to enabled. Facebook Scam Promising Naked Videos Infects Millions ( Tom's Hardware 2014-03-06 ) Funny thing is, my browsers are rigged to never execute a program ( including any file downloaded ) like they say. Oh did I mention I don't use MSIE.

Posturing is a sign of weakness ... Microsoft forming team to "win back" game developers with "modern" open source framework ( NeoWin 2014-03-02 ) Wow, extensible you say? For everything including iOS and Android you say? What about Windows? You can't even be trusted to update DirectX without chopping off compatibility to previous Windows versions, so who on Earth would ever believe this nonsense now? Rumor: Next DirectX API from Microsoft to allow for low-level access to hardware ( NeoWin 2014-03-02 ) Microsoft to unveil DirectX 12 at GDC ( TechSpot 2014-03-06 ) Microsoft Plans to Detail DirectX 12 at GDC 2014. Don't go shoveling dirt on DX12's grave ( Maximum PC 2014-03-06 ) DirectX 12 is incoming, is this a return to the API wars? ( PC Gamer 2014-03-07 ) What they really meant to say was "closer to the bare metal" but only on hardware NOT disqualified through planned obsolescence. What is interesting here though is the fear of God moment they are experiencing from some real competition appearing lately from AMD and nVidia too. They are being attacked on every front now, and it is a direct consequence of them playing games at the expense of their customers all for the sake of reinforcing their monopoly. If you ask me, the company should be completely dismantled for these crimes, let the chips fall where they may, and let the other companies continue filling the gaps and take over. One cannot discuss these latest rumors and plans without remembering how we got here. It was a cynical and methodical plan to eliminate competition, even from themselves ( earlier Windows ), to be able to cash in on a captive market. I hope that AMD and nVidia stays clear of any possible agreement, or allegedly open framework that is proposed by Microsoft. Microsoft hints DirectX 12 will also be supported by Xbox One ( NeoWin 2014-03-08 ) Irony alert: first NeoKid commenter asks: "So is this mean our DX11 cards will be also suported? " Now let that sink in for a second. Got it? NeoKid on Windows 8 with DX11 facing obsolescence. Sweet! Now let's think of all the XP users complaining about DX10/DX11, and what these same 'Tards had to say each time. The NeoKids have no chance of recognizing this cognitive dissonance, no chance at all. Microsoft wants UK government to support both Open XML, ODF for documents ( NeoWin 2014-02-20 ) In response to the threat from governments switching away from Office to something more open ... Jeez, Microsoft is really scraping the bottom of the FUD bullcrap barrel to try to derail this sensible move. Picture the little Dutch boy plugging the increasing holes in the dike and running out of fingers.

The Strange and Unusual ... Apple denies dead woman's family from using her iPad ( NeoWin 2014-03-07 ) Very interesting case here. If the facts are reported correctly I would have to agree with Apple not giving them password, yet, not until proof of ownership is made ( is that even possible? ). Also interesting is the apparent fact that these things use some sort of foolproof encryption, something that Windows lacks by default unless the user opts in. If you needed to crack a Windows machine it is simple unless the owner intentionally applied NTFS encrypted files and folders ( or some 3rd party program ) but that is pretty rare, and it doesn't prevent bootup except in even rarer circumstances. This fact has not yet crossed the minds of the NeoKids though, most of them are too busy attacking Apple ( but in fairness a few others have shown some surprisingly good logic about this topic ). Teenager killed himself after $700 bill for Xbox games on mother's credit card ( NeoWin 2014-02-27 ) This is so sad and it is not the first such case of this. Rather than blame Microsoft who are just the latest copycat jumping in to the credit-card-on-file marketplace and the equally infamous in-app or in-game purchases, we should be skewering this entire mindset of sheeple milking. They are ALL to blame. We prosecute and crucify drug-dealers for addicting and bleeding their so-called victims but turn a blind-eye to every d@mn online company who exploits their customers. Ordinarily it would be easy to chalk most of these cases up to much-needed social Darwinism, except for when it is a young child. God rest his soul. Can we blame the parents? Not a chance. Just try to opt-out of something easy these days, and now try to imagine computer illiterate parents navigating that mess. Not gonna happen. No, we inhabit a Brave New World now where common sense has gone bye-bye and credit card traps are everywhere and accidents are most likely counted on as a lucky benefit to the game or software owner. The sheeple will just have to live with it, mourn their losses and get back to consuming as soon as possible. 'Flappy Bird' might be released again, but may come with an addiction warning ( NeoWin 2014-03-11 ) Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen speaks, considers return to iOS and Android ( TechSpot 2014-03-12 ) Further proof that Humanity Is Doomed © Jaclaz. If the kid is too believed then he has actually seen enough proof of sheeple becoming drooling Idiocracy future-worlders that he shut down new sales of the program ( affecting his conscience ). That's pretty amazing really, it suggests he knows of some really strange real-world cases that quite possibly exceed our own low opinions of the sheeple at large. It also implies that other popular authors probably have received similar feedback and chose to ignore it. Things that make you go "Hmmmm" indeed. However, in the TechSpot article ... ... this has to make you wonder if this was a very elaborate publicity stunt. That's a lot of downloads, and many more will follow after a re-release, and a huge launch is assured for the new games. Again, hmmmmmmm. Microsoft trying to get politicians to pay for campaign ads on Xbox Live and Skype ( NeoWin 2014-03-07 ) There are no words to describe how angry I would be if I were using an Xbox and saw these things. It's bad enough when the phone answering machines are full of political calls during multiple periods of the year. I can't believe they would even consider this but I guess the Xbox'Tards have been conditioned to accept anything already so they'll probably not care. Dell charges £16 TO INSTALL FIREFOX on PCs Mozilla is miffed ( UK Register 2014-03-05 ) Dell charging £16 to customers who opt for Firefox installs on new PCs ( NeoWin 2014-03-06 ) They should phone up Microsoft while they're at it, since they own a substantial piece of the newly private Dell. Hmmm, the NeoKids didn't think of that, now did they? Years ago I would have given them the benefit of the doubt, but now? I say give them an anal exam, I smell monopoly. Another thing the NeoKids didn't think of is what would happen if there was no price charge and they offered it for free? Ouch, their heads would spin like the Exorcist girl. Facebook to buy drone maker Titan Aerospace for $60 million ( TechSpot 2014-03-04 ) How about no. Actually, on second thought it will be very entertaining to watch the drama unfold when the first one gets hijacked due to crappy Facebook software security and is used for blackmail by hackers right before they crash it into a choice target.

The Competition and related ... Mozilla to launch $25 Firefox OS smartphones; OS coming to TVs, tablets ( NeoWin 2014-02-27 ) OnePlus now says its 'world's best smartphone' will cost under $400 ( NeoWin 2014-02-27 ) Man, I just love these two stories. Both are possible disruptive game-changers, and neither are good news for Microsoft or even Apple. One attacks the high-end and the other the entry level with a massive recalibration of the current pricing structure of uber-overpriced crap made mostly in China and only sustainable due to crazy artificial pricing tricks between the carriers and the sheeple that snap them up. I hope they both prosper in their targeted markets. If that happens Microsoft will soon discover that they are way too late to enter this competition, the fat part of the profit curve has run its course and the party is over. Proof that these two stories are good news can be found in the comments of each article in the form of rabid spitting fanboys besides themselves with astonishment and anger over this possibly fatal competition. Microsoft's latest TV ad takes a jab at Apple for not offering touchscreen Macs ( NeoWin 2014-03-01 ) Oh this will work very well. NOT. It's incredible that they are trying to outdo the old I'm A Mac ads. Do they not realize how easy it would be for Apple to skewer them and the Playskool fiasco in high profile ads on TV? This is like poking a stick at a tiger and hoping he doesn't turn around rip your face off. Apple has more cash on hand than the government and could literally purchase marketshare just by swamping the TV with primetime ads. Don't play with fire kids. Nokia US makes fun of Samsung for "blurry" Oscar selfies ( NeoWin 2014-03-03 ) Another example of stupid all around. Some Hollywood actress tweets a picture from their crappy Oscar celebration, but the picture goes viral and becomes the most tweeted thing ever. Microsoft steps in and says ... ... which somehow makes sense to the decision makers in Redmond. Nevermind the fact that the actress used an Android ( Microsoft drawing attention to the fact that the world's most tweeted photo was a Samsung Galaxy ). The fact is that it was a pretty good photo and contains several big name Hollywood narcissists. The bad decision here is not anticipating that to the people in the image and to the millions circulating this photo the snarky MicroNokia comment will look absolutely petty and aggressive. But most importantly, who on earth thinks it is a good idea to attack the most tweeted picture in history as being blurry? How does that thought process get a greenlight? Now everyone will be looking for blurry Lumia photos. And yes, most of the NeoKids are cheering. BTW, here are the cash values of all the subjects in that photo ... UPDATE: criticizing that photo might just cost them more than they expected since the thing indeed went viral: Ellen's Oscar Twitter post had over 32 million views, was seen by 8.1 million people. Possible variation of the Streisand Effect where instead of unintentionally drawing more publicity to an object they despise ( Android ), the person instead draws the angry attention of a mob against themselves. Think of a mouse in a room full of cats that decides it's a good idea to nibble on one of their tails. How the iPad replaced the toy chest: Researchers find children play with touchscreens more than traditional toys. ( UK DailyMail 2014-02-21 ) Independent confirmation that touchscreens are attractive to children which kinda supports what that Softies was saying at Reddit. Hmmmm, but how can this be true? The MetroTards and MicroZealots have told us that touch is a productivity enhancer. It's the refined product of natural evolution of computer input. Stories like this one that reference "Children" and "Touch Screens" and Apple's "iPad" all in the same sentence just might cause the MetroTards to suffer one of those famous Star Trek logic bombs ( like when they defeated a hostile computer or robot by scrambling their logic by causing a programming conflict loop, e.g., the one with 'Lurch' who says: "Yes!, I remember now. The old ones!." etc ).

The Competition ... Windows Phone remains fastest growing OS in Europe ( NeoWin 2014-02-24 ) Holy smoke, this subject gets more spin than a centrifuge. Every possible chance they get they beat the drum of Windows Phone growth. First of all, if you look at these articles they are using the term marketshare when describing 'shipping share', i.e., percentage of shipments. They do not want to know their actual share of handsets in use, trust me. Secondly, this is just smartphones, they do not want to add in the numbers for flip feature phones in the developing world. But even confining the picture to shipment share of smartphones, it is downright embarassing. Let's take a look ... Smartphone SHIPMENT Share Nov 2013 - Jan 2014 ------------- Germany --- UK ---- France --- Italy -- Spain --- China --- Japan - Australia --- USA Android ...... 75.1 .... 55.2 .... 65.2 .... 67.3 .... 86.6 .... 54.8 .... 30.5 .... 57.7 .... 54.8 iOS .......... 16.2 .... 30.7 .... 22.2 .... 12.6 ..... 7.2 .... 38.9 .... 68.7 .... 35.1 .... 38.9 WP ............ 6.8 .... 11.3 ..... 9.6 .... 17.0 ..... 5.3 ..... 5.0 ..... 0.0 ..... 5.1 ..... 5.0 Blackberry .... 0.8 ..... 2.4 ..... 1.8 ..... 2.1 ..... 0.0 ..... 0.6 ..... 0.0 ..... 0.3 ..... 0.6 Other ......... 1.1 ..... 0.3 ..... 1.2 ..... 1.0 ..... 1.0 ..... 0.7 ..... 0.8 ..... 1.7 ..... 1.7 There is nothing there that could possibly be viewed as positive unless your only goal was to overtake Blackberry. The only thing I see in that chart that is favorable to WP is in Italy where it seems that the retailers are accepting more shipments of it than iPhones ( maybe Jaclaz can shed some light on this phenomenon? ). Seriously though, we have to remember that the chart label 'WP' really meant 'Nokia', which rightly had a very good reputation in Europe and elsewhere. The fanboys are mistaking good will for that brand for love of their stupid MicroToyz. What Microsoft needs to really worry about now is whether their assimilation of that company destroys it for Europe resulting in collapse of their so-called growth! In this context that earlier story about Microsoft pondering what to do with the 'Nokia' brand is truly an important question. Stay tuned for this one. IDC: Smartphone annual growth to hit single digits by 2017; Windows Phone well equipped for the future ( NeoWin 2014-02-27 ) IDC Expects Smartphone Growth to Slow to Single Digits by 2017 ( Maximum PC 2014-02-27 ) Oopsie. Late to the big party Microsoft, just in time to see saturation and a product replacement future. That's gotta hurt. And to make this wonderful plan of theirs a reality all it took was the sacrifice of their company cornerstone and the respect of its veteran customers and evangelists. Great plan! Rumor: Ford could dump Microsoft for BlackBerry inside next version of Sync ( NeoWin 2014-02-23 ) Ford Is Dropping Microsoft's In-Car Software. Another problem for Windows. ( Thurrott 2014-02-25 ) Just posting this for entertainment value really. "Dumping Microsoft" and "Switching to Blackberry" in the same sentence has really got to be painful. Note that the fanboys have now shifted to blaming Ford for the problems, saying they screwed up Microsoft's operating system. Well, what else would you expect them to say really. PlayStation 4 worldwide sales have now exceeded 6 million units ( NeoWin 2014-03-04 ) No surprise to anyone paying attention, except for members of the Xbox cult. Google slashes Drive cloud storage pricing, now starting at $1.99/month for 100GB ( TechSpot 2014-03-13 ) Google Drive combats Microsoft's OneDrive with big price cuts, $9.99 a month for 1TB ( NeoWin 2014-03-13 ) Ouch. Now how is Microsoft gonna compete with that? This is the problem with tossing all your eggs in one basket. Their cloud dreams can evaporate quickly. This is going to get very interesting.

Yet more sad news for the mobile MicroZealots ... Microsoft announces 9 new Windows Phone hardware partners including LG, Lenovo ( NeoWin 2014-02-23 ) Contrary to the spin from NeoWin, these so-called nine new partners are far from impressive. They list: Foxconn, Lenovo, LG, ZTE, Gionee, Longcheer, JSR, Karbonn, Xolo. Yet as the next article demonstrates LG said 'screw this'. Microsoft offers five more of them simply as list padding, companies that are unknown at large and probably just interested in Microsoft's deep pockets. LG: No plans in the near future for a new Windows Phone handset ( NeoWin 2014-02-23 ) You know that's really gotta tick off the 'Tards. What will they say about it? Oh that's easy: "they make crap anyway ... NOKIA, FTW!!". Acer: We won't 'take a risk' on Windows Phone until apps, market share improve ( NeoWin 2014-02-28 ) How dare they. Cry havok and let slip the FanDogs of NeoWin! Nokia: BlackBerry BBM app coming to Lumia Windows Phones ( NeoWin 2014-02-24 ) And ironically this is now received by the MicroZealots as a GOOD thing which shows you what a difference a year makes. After one year of bashing all things Blackberry the 'Tards are now embracing anything that will keep their mobile dreams alive. Windows Phone 8.1 custom Start Screen backgrounds images leaked ( NeoWin 2014-03-02 ) The image actually looks pretty cool because it's definitely something different. Using wallpaper in the foregorund ( forepaper? ) to skin the tiles is actually creative. So naturally the NeoKids hate it. Clearly they are afraid of change.

Sad news for the mobile MicroZealots to chew on ( 'Sleeping with the Enemy' edition )... Nokia officially announces family of Nokia X Android smartphones (Update) ( NeoWin 2014-02-24 ) Nokia releases first official Nokia X videos; promises 'life in the fastlane' ( NeoWin 2014-02-24 ) EDITORIAL: Nokia and Android. What gives? ( NeoWin 2014-02-24 ) Microsoft: We are "pleased" Nokia X will offer our services ( NeoWin 2014-02-24 ) The poor Zealots are all over the map in the comments as yet another of their belief systems is shattered. Here's what one of the principal MicroTards has to say ... The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem yet I didn't see any mea culpa in that little speech. Ah well, carry on kids. Interestingly, MicroNokia appears to be trying to invent a way to produce an Android phone that won't sell by sabotaging the appearance with a pseudo-WP skin on a forked Android OS. If anyone can find a way to accomplish this ( creating an Android that does not sell ), it will be Microsoft Now just to pre-empt the next fanboy talking point, the question is NOT whether Microsoft sells more Android phones than Samsung or anybody else. No, the question is whether Microsoft sells more Android phones than WP phones. So this sets up yet another great source of entertainment. In future quarters everyone will be looking at the phone market results and pitting Microsoft WP against Microsoft Android shipments. Can you imagine what will happen if Android comes out ahead in Microsoft phones! ( naturally this possibility is dependent on Microsoft not killing the phone as soon as they become owners of Nokia ). Microsoft still undecided about using the Nokia brand ( NeoWin 2014-02-26 ) Wait wut?! Holy crap, Redmond could lose in a one-car race. Purchasing Nokia is at best a 50/50 chance of being a wash or total failure. They're not gaining anything of substance, just preserving the only real manufacturer of WP and guaranteeing its continuing existence. One could make the case that they should have just kept giving money to Nokia, or withdrawn from this market completely. When you examine what they actually bought it seems that only Nokia really came out ahead. They probably should have taken over Nokia completely and preserved the company as a subsidiary. I can see know way it actually adds any profit to MSFT for a very long time. Xbox Live may be headed to iOS and Android games ( TechSpot 2014-03-04 ) Sleeping with the enemy. Could Microsoft's Internet Explorer head to Android? ( NeoWin 2014-03-04 ) More sleeping with the enemy! If you can't beat 'em, sleep with 'em. BlackBerry 10 smartphone owners can now use Microsoft's OneDrive ( NeoWin 2014-03-05 ) Even more Sleeping with the Enemy, which has got to anger the Zealots. Truth be told, in the comments they seem to approve of this move, perhaps believing it will expand use of the WP walled garden. Normally they are wishing for the death of Blackberry, but at this stage of the game with their 3% marketshare they apparently will take anything they can get. I like how NeoWin checked with Microsoft to make sure this was legal and all. I swear they act like unpaid employees.

Crazy Eddie edition ( continued ) ... 'Windows 8.1 update 1 with Bing' build leaks, raises questions ( NeoWin 2014-02-21 ) Report: 'Windows 8.1 with Bing' could be an experiment to offer Windows for free ( NeoWin 2014-02-27 ) Rumor: Microsoft May Offer Free Version of Windows 8.1 Bundled with Bing. Would you upgraded to Windows 8.1 if Microsoft gave the OS away for free? ( Maximum PC 2014-02-28 ) Microsoft contemplating free version of Windows 8.1 for Windows 7 users ( TechSpot 2014-02-28 ) Free Windows? Maybe. Windows 8.1 with Bing could be the way of the future ( Thurrott 2014-02-28 ) Microsoft Working on Free Version of Windows? ( Tom's Hardware 2014-03-01 ) Nope. Not even for free. In all seriousness though, this is another perfect example of Microsoft miscalculation. It is NOT the "desktop" Windows that needs to be made more econmical, it is the mobile versions. If classic Windows was available, one that did not insult the customer, it would sell itself. They are losing badly in mobile, even more badly now than when they first started down the Microsoft Tiles path. All they had to do was build a separate mobile version ( not screwing up classic Windows ) and make it free for a couple of years to gain marketshare. Instead they torpedoed the entire franchise, possibly forever. Great job geniuses. Windows 8.1 with Bing Revealed. Cheap, not free ( Thurrott 2014-03-06 ) Windows 8.1 with Bing: Designed for low-cost devices, locks OEMs into Bing service ( NeoWin 2014-03-06 ) Leaked Documentation Sheds Light on Rumored Windows 8.1 with Bing Release ( Maximum PC 2014-03-07 ) You really gotta wonder what's in the water up there in Redmond. Oh sure, they have a small "share" of the mobile market and that seemingly absolves them of accusations of predatorial monopoly abuse, or does it? Microsoft has purposefully blurred the lines between their desktop and mobile products, and that was completely intentional. Now with that complete they seem to think they can slip this clearly problematic tactic ( forcing Bing into the OS ) into both mobile and the desktop arena. Now that Ballmer is gone I guess we have to consider this the first mistake for the new CEO, and a huge one at that, for sticking their feet right back into the anti-competitive waters. Even though our own DoJ has been asleep for a few years, this is a fresh topic in the EU and elsewhere. This is simply cuckoo. Microsoft rumored to have plans for free OneNote for Mac ( NeoWin 2014-03-12 ) Lot of anger in that thread where the fanboys are sniping at each other, probably because Microsoft has decided to first make this software available for the enemy Mac users - before releasing versions for their beloved Metro. Hehehe. The strangest thing though is that Microsoft seems to think Mac users even want this at all. Microsoft announces Office 365 Personal for $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year ( NeoWin 2014-03-13 ) Hmmm, any idea why Microsoft is dropping prices on Office 364? Anyone? Bueller? Maybe that embarrassing total number of 3.5 million subscribers in well over a year. Seriously, that can't even be 1% of the total Office users, maybe even a third of a percent. Only one single NeoKid in the comments has figured this out.

Crazy Eddie edition: Prices so low they're practically giving it all away ... Confirmed: Microsoft to cut the cost of Windows 8.1 for low-end devices ( NeoWin 2014-02-23 ) Unthinkable only a few years ago and impossible according to the fanboys, Microsoft once again admits defeat and slashes prices to make their ridiculous GUI somehow more attractive to anybody who still cares. All the fanboys were convinced that the Apple and Android lemmings ( in their view ) would come running to Microsoft Tiles. All throughout the beta period, and before, and after, they have lectured us on this yet we persevered and told them exactly what would happen. Now the inevitable has come to pass and still they cannot admit defeat and blame Android rather themselves. Meanwhile Apple has neither dropped prices nor made their OS's retarded and have transformed themselves into a constant in the universe - a high-end stable juggernaut of technology and money making. We warned the MicroZealots that burning both ends of the bridge can only result in crashing into the middle of the sea, and they did not listen. Enjoy the water 'Tards. Microsoft drops Xbox One price to £399.99 in UK ( NeoWin 2014-02-24 ) Coming hot on the heels of massive drop-off of sales in the post-holiday period, this certainly must be just an unfortunate coincidence. There are so many things to wonder about. Remember how they parted out both consoles ( Sony and Microsoft ) and figured out they were just barely eeking out a few dollars profit per unit? So does this mean Microsoft has decided to officially lose money on Xbone? Also, since these devices are retailing for the same price used for that calculation ( $399 and $499 ), does this mean that both companies are already selling at a loss ( Sony/Microsoft to retailers ) since the retailers cannot possibly sell them for break-even and stay in business? It sure looks like the console market is a very questionable gamble for any manufacturer. Windows and the Race to the Bottom. I don't mean to go off on a rant here, but... ( Thurrott 2014-02-25 ) Paul's take on all the pricing changes. He is now stealing our numerous "Apple-envy" comments from over the past few years here, realizing at last that Microsoft is operating out of a twisted emotional state of jealousy. How long before he figures out that he himself is an iTard but doesn't even know it? Microsoft might be cutting Windows Phone license price to OEMs by 70 percent too ( NeoWin 2014-02-26 ) Microsoft reportedly offers Windows Phone OS for free to Indian OEMs ( TechSpot 2014-03-13 ) Microsoft Reportedly Testing Free Windows Phone Licenses in India ( Maximum PC 2014-03-13 ) Microsoft reportedly waives Windows Phone licensing fee for Indian OEMs ( NeoWin 2014-03-13 ) Fanboy responses to the first story: 'Nah, it's just a coincidence. Nothing to see here, move along!' Fanboy responses to the later stories: 'Google's bad!' ( no really, that is their argument ).

'Spring Update' for Windows 8.1 announced ( NeoWin 2014-02-23 ) Yep, those keyboard/mouse user "improvements" plus more, including traditional context menus when right-clicking the mouse ( hehe ), a feature that has Dot MetroTard beside himself in the comments. Don't miss his/her latest nervous breakdown trying to force the Metro GUI down everyons's throats, even those without touchscreens, belying their traditional talking points about NOT just for touch. These little Microsoft baby steps backwards have exposed their true beliefs, which is 'my way or the highway'. This theme is prevalent in the comments lately and in this generation as a whole. Witness another outburst after one adult commenter says he will not deploy the Playskool OS, to which the kids reply: "Long live the dictator. Hurray.", and another: "Happy I don't work in your shop.". This puts a highlight on the problem here. If I was that commenter I would have replied that the operative word here is "work". I don't purchase an operating system for your d@mn amusement, it's not meant to pay tribute to your religion, MicroZealot. This feeling of entitlement seen in the narcissistic 'Tard generation is a red flag - to employers. I would have said to the second commenter, 'you don't have to worry about working in my shop, I don't hire retards as a rule'. I would have screened him out at the interview process by showing him where he might be working and looking for comments about the hardware, software, and OS. Come in with an attitude of entitlement and you wouldn't get past the door. I was wondering just what would follow the pants hanging grunge loving generation of the 1990's to 2000's, and now we know, it is. Generation iTard and Generation MetroTard. Poll: What should Microsoft name Windows 8.1 update 1? ( NeoWin 2014-02-28 ) Well if you ask me I would vote for "Windows 8.11" of course. But let's have a poll for new box art. Here's my idea ... Microsoft accidentally leaks Windows 8.1 Update 1 early ( TechSpot 2014-03-07 ) You can download Windows 8.1 update 1 right now with a simple registry tweak %5BUpdate%5D ( NeoWin 2014-03-06 ) Clown circus. I love in the second article the comedy that ensues when some NeoKids try to explain what a registry tweak is to other NeoKids. Since the target demographic Windows 8 are MetroMonkeys you have the surreal situation of walking them through the very minefield that normal people have been complaining about! So then, one guy made a REG script, even that is too hard for some of the monkeys. HeHeHe. I find this rather ironic. Anyway, once Microsoft finally blocked the files you get yet another irony with some kids asking others to put the files up somewhere! Oh my. That's like illegal dude. That's like doing the very crime you criticize others for dude ( their pompous bloviating about copyrights and anything that allegedly hurts Microsoft ). So many wonderful ironies and so little time to enjoy them all. Microsoft Ad Disses Mac for Lacking Touch, Gets Called Sexist ( Maximum PC 2014-03-05 ) Microsoft is becoming The Born Loser of technology. The Clark W. Griswold of computing.

Chaos in the MicroVerse ( continued ) ... Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer would like a 'redo' for company's phone efforts ( NeoWin 2014-03-04 ) I predict we're gonna see those billboards along our highways soon with Ballmer's fat head and the caption: "You miss me yet!". The NeoKid article author actually says this: "Ballmer made the decision to ditch the older Windows Mobile operating system for Windows Phone in 2010, which has been far more successful for Microsoft." Say what? There's that living in the bubble again. Best comment has to be: "Ballmer is the OJ Simpson of the tech world, an almost heroic past until he murdered windows." : Gates, Nadella, Bates reportedly opposed Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia smartphone unit at first ( NeoWin 2014-03-05 ) Steve Ballmer shouted at board members and threatened to resign over Nokia deal ( TechSpot 2014-03-06 ) Penn and Reller! Crazy! You couldn't write this stuff. I imagine a lot of Nokia fans around the world really wish they refused him and Ballmer had walked. Microsoft would have more cash in the bank and Nokia would still be alive, albeit selling both WP and Android, but alive nonetheless. Microsoft reportedly searching for ad agency for new broad marketing strategy ( NeoWin 2014-03-10 ) Well we sure identified that dance thing before anybody else didn't we? The fanboys still can't understand that one though. Still, they promote Mark Penn and then fire the advertisers? That's the plan? Microsoft adds ValueAct Capital president Mason Morfit to its board of directors ( NeoWin 2014-03-12 ) Dear fanboys ... run along and put some ice on it before it swells. Interview: We chat with VideoLAN's President about the future of the Windows 8 VLC app ( NeoWin 2014-03-12 ) Dysfunction within Microsoft, one of their worst kept secrets. Lumbering along like a brontosaurus just waiting for that asteroid. Any time now.

Chaos in the MicroVerse ... Julie Larson-Green Exits Microsoft's Devices Business. The last of the Sinofsky era moves along. ( Thurrott 2014-02-25 ) Microsoft Devices and Studios leader Julie Larson-Green moving to new role in company ( NeoWin 2014-02-25 ) Yeah, and he sure surprised you too Paul, you and all your alleged inside sources are still very quiet about this. Anyway, the purge is pretty much complete now. Very little wiggle room for the fanboys to tell us it's all coincidence and not due to the Windows 8 debacle. It's starting to look like a vengeful God at passover wiping out the first born team responsible for the mess. Paul's got a few other articles up too ... Microsoft's Larson-Green on Windows 8: There are 'things I would think about doing differently' ( NeoWin 2014-02-26 ) Did she really say "Super Hard" Note, I did mean in the Microsoft lingo "Super" sense, pioneered by Gates, Ballmer, and Sinofsky in countless speeches. There really is a hardcore mindset at work there, a true bubble. Anyway, the ribbon girl is stuck on stupid, as is anyone who could still say: "I dont know that building just another Windows 7 would have been helpful." If that is the mindset of the entire team then Microsoft is screwed. This would be like Charmin no longer making toilet paper, or maybe making NuToilet Paper from plastic or sandpaper. Who dismisses and tosses away their world famous cash cow like that? What a complete bunch of clowns this team is. It boggles the mind. The comments are once again plumbing the depths of crazyland. The kids are also stuck on stupid. Dot MetroTard: "You guys can argue all you want, but change was needed. Microsoft was in a bind with Windows whether you want to admit it or not." Yes, change from sitting on top of the world, at the pinnacle of the computer universe. Well you got your change. Like I said, Charmin Sandpaper. Tagline: "You'll get used to it once you use it a few times". Good call! Dot MetroTard even adds: "Metro has been on Windows since 2004, and no one complained, so why do you have issues with it now?" and later clarifies: "The design language that has become Metro was introduced in Windows Media Center." This shows that he is perfectly qualified to work at NuMicrosoft. MCE is a prime example of the correct implementation, a modular add-on that exists as an icon and runs in a Window without screwing up the entire operating system in the process. That *is* what they should have done, we have stated this for years here. The entire comment thread is littered with comments like this that are two inches away from the truth yet it still escapes them. Disrupting the classic interface was suicide, period. Not even offering the classic interface as a theme was salt in the wounds. Removing the Start Menu and Aero was further insult. These facts make liars out of the lot of them. All these machinations was not about adding a Media Center like extension, it was about hijacking the customers in the OEM channel into a walled garden. The company should be broken up for this crime. This would be a fine thread for someone to post that comment from the Softie describing the Playskool interface as being for retards. All the kids seem to have already forgotten it from two weeks ago. Microsoft Shakeup: Tony Bates and Tami Reller to leave the company ( NeoWin 2014-03-02 ) Microsoft confirms Tony Bates and Tami Reller are leaving the company, Penn gets a new title ( NeoWin 2014-03-03 ) Microsoft's "Scroogled" creator Mark Penn may become its chief strategy officer ( NeoWin 2014-03-03 ) Top Microsoft execs Bates and Reller are leaving the company after CEO change ( TechSpot 2014-03-04 ) And the bloodbath continues. Everyone connected with Sinofsky and Windows 8 is getting the Godfather treatment ( the only question is if there is a Tom Hagen character asking Michael if he "wants to kill everybody" ). It looks like they are promoting their Luca Brasi wannabe, the schmuck called Mark Penn who has no business being involved with any company listed on the NYSE since he ill serves their shareholders just by breathing. But I guess giving politicians a sweetheart job to buy influence is considered standard operating procedure these days and they all do it to some degree. Good, it gives us even more reason to detest you all. When these so-called tech companies wonder why they receive so much vitriol they can blame themselves for wasting time and money playing these stupid games and employing dirtbags. But wait, there's so much more! Over at NeoWin the self-proclaimed 'unprofessional journalism' continues with two simultaneous controversies starting in the first article ( Brad Sams naturally ). It seems he got something wrong and stealth edited it again ( and moderated some referencing comments ) leaving everyone wondering what occurred. That's typical over there, altered stories without any explanation or footnote ( just how they managed to do that with IPB is unknown since to my knowledge it logs all changes ) ... Then, there is a second controversy from moderators banning and removing comments linking this latest article about the bloodbath to the larger Windows 8 fiasco. That's right, they actually are steering the commentary through censorship, yanking comments, and though it's hard to tell it appears Dot MetroTard is involved in some fashion, perhaps by reporting comments that point out the obvious which he/she is too thick to understand. What the heck is going on Steven? After all these years you still haven't grown any integrity or any self-respect? Nadella Confirms Microsoft Leadership Changes, Hints at Reasons. Honestly, Reller just got Scroogled ( Thurrott 2014-03-04 ) That is one bad egg there. great job billg! You're really hitting them out of the park. And by making him war time consigliere ( but not a Sicilian ) he reports right to the top leaving the CEO and board with no-one else to point fingers at when he detonates and causes a catastrophe.