JorgeA

Uh-oh, had we seen this confirmed before (see the boldfaced text in the first paragraph below)? [emphasis added] Moving on to the second paragraph: if the burglars' strategy as outlined there is true, then it would argue for the value of running some kind of security software on your system. As the thinking goes, a lock on your door and and alarm system won't stop someone who's determined to break into your home, but it might convince him to go bother somebody else instead. --JorgeA

Thanks, jaclaz. It's too bad that there don't seem to be (and that it may not even be possible to have) good studies on this question that offer statistical breakdowns. If the issue of hacking somebody's PC is a dynamic process where (say) the existence of a Java vulnerability then enables the use of a hole in the OS, then it all becomes a tangled mess and it's hard to tease out the causes. --JorgeA

I read somewhere recently that nowadays the majority of security threats to PCs and their users lies not in the operating system itself, but in the installed applications and in software platforms such as Flash and Java. Does anybody have solid statistics (or a link to such) as to the proportion of PC attacks/infections that are attributable to the vulnerabilities that Mcrosoft deals with on Patch Tuesday, vs. those that are due to vulnerabilities in platforms like Flash and Java, or to the programs residing on a PC? --JorgeA

I don' t know what you're talking about. But seriously -- the urge to wreck successful designs and the arrogance of ignoring what their customers are telling them -- this is like a computer virus that's infecting the minds of developers all around the world. Sure, I get the desire to cater to users of mobile devices like tablets and smartphones, but the way to do that is not by alienating your established customer (and fan) base. I remember when the WordStar folks came out with a Windows version of their venerable word-processing DOS software. It was obviously an attempt to "keep up with the times" as people made the switch to Windows, but the interface was so completely different from what we knew and loved, that it was like learning a whole new program. Basically they eliminated what made it both familiar and special, and so users had no particular reason to keep using it over MS Word. Within a few years, WordStar had gone to the Great Recycle Bin in the Sky. --JorgeA

I, too, have heard that it's possible to track mobile phones even if they are nominally turned off. Some quick-and-dirty research turned up these bits: Can The NSA Really Track Turned-Off Cellphones? An informative but not totally helpful article. Can Cell Phones Be Tracked When Turned Off? A little more unsettling, but still not offering finality on the question. More digging on the "roving bug" idea led to the following: FBI taps cell phone mic as eavesdropping tool The critical question is whether a "roving bug" is a piece of hardware that's physically tacked onto the phone (obviously a labor-intensive process), or software code that can be installed remotely and en masse. If the latter, those of us who are concerned about privacy will need to take that possibility into consideration. --JorgeA

The trouble with this idea is that it's sensible. But worse, it implies that the powers-that-be at MSFT actually respect their customers and give a hoot what our preferences are. As the bigwigs at MSFT have shown time and again, they are self-styled (to borrow a phrase from Apple) geniuses who think they know better than we do what's best for us, and they're not about to let some piddling detail like what the market wants to get in the way. Oh, and they have -- deep, authoritative announcer's voice -- Science (telemetry data) to back them up. Never mind that it was by listening to customers that they built the most enduringly successful computing company in history -- they're willing to jeopardize more than three decades of that in order to chase after Apple's 6-year blip of popularity since the iPhone was introduced (or 3 years since the iPad came on the scene). Previous experiments with Windows phones (and iPod imitators) having failed miserably, they doubled down by trying, with Windows 8/RT, to herd their customer base into the corral we had resolutely stayed away from all along. All of their gambits are failing and their position will be left a wreckage unless they undertake a strategic retreat and pronto. --JorgeA

CMU Facial Recognition Technology Could Be Future For Catching Criminals Hmm... had this technology been functional and deployed in 1989, Eastern Europeans from Poland to Bulgaria might still be, uh, enjoying life in their workers' paradises. A penny-wise and pound-foolish technology. --JorgeA

Another emerging technology to follow you around the Web: American Airlines Tests Tracking Website Clicks [emphasis added] Now, I actually don't mind if a vendor tracks my actions on their website (or in their store). In fact, at a store sometimes I wish that they DID notice how I struggled to find a particular product or get around their maze of corridors and then walked out in frustration. (Ditto for poorly designed websites.) I'm there to do business with them and anything that facilitates that is welcome. But once I leave their store (website), my dealings with them are over (for the time being, at least) and it's none of their d*mn business where I go next. Remember from now on to close your browser tab or window when you're done at a particular site. --JorgeA

Oh yeah, that comparison works too. --JorgeA

And it is actually the "official" stance, see: https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA12199/can-i-sign-out-of-skype-windows-8-or-above ... and to be fair, is not even "news" (Windows Phone 8 doees the same): http://forums.wpcentral.com/windows-phone-apps/203679-dear-skype-please-let-me-log-out-skype-windows-phone-8-a.html So, Microsoft (and certainly Skype) is becoming the "Hotel California" of cyberspace: you can log in anytime you like, but you can never leave. --JorgeA

I'm not Tripredacus but if you scroll rto the top of the thread page and find the thread title, you can then look at the other end of the line where the title is. There, you should find a box that says "Unfollow this topic," with some stars in gray below it. click in the box and it will change to "Follow this topic." (Yes, there are no visual cues to suggest that it's a clickable item.) --JorgeA P.S. He just beat me to the punch!

Is there a way to install Aero Glass for Win8 without disabling Secure Boot? The FAQ page says -- So if this is "one of" the possible ways to install Aero Glass, then what are other possible ways? Thanks for any info on this. --JorgeA

In browser news: IE11 for Windows 7 Globally Available for Consumers and Businesses People are complaining that IE11 breaks their Desktop Gadgets and that it doesn't work with YouTube, Wordpress, and Google+ among others. Reminiscent of practices in the Destroying Windows blog, one commenter complained that -- ----- Google starts applying the "forced march by dropping support" strategy to both Vista and IE9: Google Apps kills support for Windows Vista by discontinuing support for Internet Explorer 9 This is ironic, because IE8 is still the single most popular version of any browser out there. At the same time, IE10 went down by half a percent. My guess: IIRC, IE8 is the default browser for Windows 7 and IE10 is the default browser for Windows 8. Therefore, there are more new installations of Win7 than of Win8. --JorgeA

I've tried doing the CTRL-F5 thing and logging off MSFN, then logging back in. Still not getting e-mail notifications of new posts. --JorgeA

Maybe Microsoft sold the patent rights for that system to Yahoo... --JorgeA

More privacy news: Location-tracking turns your smartphone into your stalker Another reason not to get a smartphone -- orf if you have one, to leave it turned off except when needed. At the very least, make sure that the location "services" are disabled. --JorgeA

What a lovely idea -- you pay for our product, and we tell you how you may use it. Sort of like the way Hollywood works. Just wait 'til they do this to PCs themselves (via the OS). In your best interests, of course, since you're too stupid or ignorant to properly look out for yourself. --JorgeA

One good thing that's happened as a result of the government snooping scandal: NSA spying prompts open TrueCrypt encryption software audit to go viral --JorgeA

A trip down memory lane... Microsoft's Windows operating system celebrates its 30th birthday ...with an interesting tidbit: How far (low) we have come since then. The new Playskool Tiles interface is obviously designed for the, umm, not-so-serious user. --JorgeA

Don't knock the tin hats. I just bought two new rolls of tin foil! But, when I read that about the residing only in memory and being elusive, the first thing through my shallow mind was spook planted/originated. Sounds a bit sophisticated to be purely hacker created. Not that they don't have some talent, but really? One would think more along the spook lines, as they probably have all the source and the known exploits (probably before the MS staff even gets it). I used to think a lot of what we have discussed here was something that was to far fetched to ever be a reality. But, today, I put absolutely nothing past my government or any other government for that matter. People with power only want more power and it corrupts. bpalone +1

The "integrated Bing Search" type of infection is spreading beyond the Windows world: Canonical tries to stop fan website using Ubuntu name and logo The control-freak infection (regarding use of the product's name) is also visible in this case, as the website owner felt compelled to prepare the following disclaimer: Hmm, that would be a neat way to prevent all criticism of your product -- just threaten legal action against anybody who uses its name in a negative context. --JorgeA P.S. From the comments:

The IE "SmartScreen Filter" in its most current incarnation: Windows 8 users benefit from App Rep security, NSS Labs finds This is the first time I recall seeing this stated in so many words. (IIRC, previously the question of whether MS can know what you're dowloading lay mainly in the realm of speculation.) --JorgeA

A sampling of comments on a MSFT board discussion about the lack of a Windows 8.1 ISO, and the practical problems that OEM system users face as a result of that: . . . --JorgeA

Wow, that's very fitting. --JorgeA

InfoWorld has a page with descriptions and brief reviews of several Start Menu replacements that are said to work on Windows 8.1. I'll be using this as the starting point for indicating, on our list, Start Menu replacements for Win8.1. If an item on the list is reported or confirmed to work on this newest version of the OS, it will be marked with "8.1" at the end of the listing for quick identification. --JorgeA