JorgeA

And after they give up on the "devices" part of that combo, they can then move on to drop the (cloud) "services" portion too: Microsoft is the least trusted data storage provider -- what can be done? --JorgeA

In Xbox news: PS4 sales pass 7 million units, while Xbox One licks its wounds and plans a comeback That would make it yet another failed piece of Microsoft hardware. Hmm, maybe they'd then give up on this notion of becoming a "devices and services" company, and go back and focus on their strengths. The writer complained that Microsoft was keeping mum on Xbone sales in the face of Sony's reports. Later that day, MSFT released its own numbers: Microsoft Has Sold More Than 5 Million Xbox Ones Most of the article is behind a paywall, but you get to see just enough: --JorgeA

Wow, that's pretty cool! If you don't mind potentially switching to Linux, you might want to think about one of the penguin flavors that have recently come out with a focus on privacy, such as Tails and Netrunner SE ("stealth edition"). --JorgeA

And, to complement the drones up in the sky: Eye Spy with My Google Glass Before you start thinking that this could come in handy as a check on our overlords, rest assured that it won't be available for use by the peasantry: At least we do have some capability to fight back by filming police beatings and stormtroopers barging into people's homes, and taping threats made to us by officials. No doubt, though, these will be viewed as loopholes in the law that'll need to be closed. --JorgeA

Facebook to Notify Users When Friends are Nearby With a cc: to the NSA... [emphasis added] [emphasis added] Really! You don't say... At least this is an "opt-in" service -- for now. Facebook has a history of quietly changing its TOS away from privacy. --JorgeA

Seemingly misses a sentence in the middle. Version 1: Version 2, more probable: jaclaz I'm afraid you're right -- version 2 is more probable. --JorgeA

I have a friend who used to scoff at me when I'd tell him that Gmail was a threat to his privacy. Funny, he's not doing that any more. A number of email services claiming to offer secure and private communications have come out recently. As to whether they're actually fronts for government spy agencies , we can't be sure, but the StartPage/Ixquick people, whom I do trust, will soon be rolling out their StartMail service. Thanks for the articles about Google and the drones. There's a lot of, uh, interesting possibilities for this technology. How long do you think it'll be before the entire planet's surface is monitored in real time by a network of these thingies? --JorgeA

In the "the Sun will rise tomorrow" department: All sent and received e-mails in Gmail will be analyzed, says Google Encourage your friends and family to stop using Gmail and seek out less intrusive alternatives (if there are any ). Maybe you can add to your signature a little note about how Google reads all the e-mail that goes through their servers and that, while your friend may be OK with that, you're not. --JorgeA

Which of these reports do you believe? The NSA knew about and exploited the Heartbleed bug for ‘at least two years’ NSA denies knowing about Heartbleed flaw for years --JorgeA

Thanks for the articles, monroe. It's becoming pretty clear that the answer to why governments are doing this even in the face of constitutional limits and professional advice (such as the former state attorney general) is: "Because we can." I'm afraid that before we know it, the Constitution will be printed on toilet paper as that's all it'll be good for. And the law will be but a weapon to wield against political enemies and otherwise ignore at will. --JorgeA

The failure of Windows 8, viewed from a psychological angle. Some historical perspective back to Windows Me, and Paul Thurrott also comes in for some withering criticism: Listen to the caveman The same applies of course to a lot of other Win8 reviewers. --JorgeA

The Internet of Things: An exploding security minefield As we go marching right into it... Are you SURE that you want your car or your gas oven connected to the Internet?? --JorgeA

Very important footnote, there. --JorgeA

Schneier: Internet has delivered a ‘golden age of surveillance’ Have we sold our souls to the devil? --JorgeA

Windows 8.1 Update fails to install for numerous users, generates complaints and frustration This'll help to improve Win8's reputation in the public eye... This is especially bad because Microsoft is getting more aggressive about pushing updates on users: Microsoft drags customers 'kicking and screaming' into its world of faster updates . So, MSFT has provided yet another reason for businesses to stay away from Windows 8. --JorgeA

Amazing. IMHO, Sony computers are some of the most overpriced machines this side of Apple. About four years ago I was at a Sony store and saw a laptop with a price tag of something like US$6900. The tag wasn't very forthcoming as to what was inside the case that made it worth that much, so I memorized the model number and looked it up when I got home. It had an SSD (128GB, I think) and maybe a separate 500GB HDD. Memory was like 4 or 6 gigs. It was nice, but nothing that screamed $7000 worth at you. I remember thinking at the time that $2000 or even $1500 would have been a stretch. --JorgeA

A review sympathetic to Win8 with some good observations: A Look At the Windows 8.1 Update [emphasis added] --JorgeA

To me, the big news in the Snowden revelations was confirmation that the tinfoil-hat people were actually too optimistic. I'd always had suspicions that this sort of all-encompassing cybersurveillance was taking place, but the past year's news confirms those suspicions. Here's another topical headline: NSA Said to Exploit Heartbleed Bug for Intelligence for Years Much other juicy stuff in the linked article. --JorgeA

Neowin has posted an edited video from Build, featuring the introduction of the revived Start Menu. Notice the hoots and applause from the audience when the announcement was made. Notice, too, how the presenter corrected himself when he started to describe the Start Menu as "the familiar expierence customers are looking for," and interrupted himself to say, "some customers are looking for." I say that he began to speak the truth, and then remembered to state the Party Line. --JorgeA

More NSA revelations are yet to come, says author --JorgeA

I don't kow about not having the X buttons, but fake dialogs are sure possible. My wife got one of these fake MSE Trojan warnings over the weekend -- two of them for the same incident, as a matter of fact. Fortunately she knows enough to be suspicious (we don't use MSE) and called me over. I told her not to click on ANYTHING in the dialog boxes, then I killed the browser instance in Task Manager and had her do a quick malware scan, then reboot and do a full malware scan for good measure. --JorgeA

For me, the salient data point is just how slowly Windows 8/8.1 is inching up the scale, up a measly 2.41% over the past six months (8.89 --> 11.30). Way to succeed, Softies. Nice "Cognitive Dissonace" graphic, BTW. --JorgeA

Ignoring the fact that "productivity" means checking Twitter and Facebook and Xbox game stuff. What I'd really like to know is where on Earth did this lie about clicks come from! Seriously, I count NOT multiple clicks, NOT even one click, I count 1/2-click to anywhere into any and all flyout submenus. Can someone else verify this please, do the following: Click on the Start Button and keep holding it down, now you can move straight into and out of any submenus ( including Control Panel or even All Programs ) to anywhere, and then you finally release the button to execute or open your choice! One half-click to anywhere, one click in total to do anything ... The only thing that I can think of is that what we have here is the 3rd "big lie" perpetrated by these GUI propagandists. ( The 1st was the Win95 "resistance" to change, the 2nd is the WinXP "Playskool GUI vs Theme" nonsense ). What we also have here are liars who not only weren't around during the Win95 or WinXP transitions, but they haven't really even used WinXP or else they couldn't possibly believe there are multiple clicks to navigate through the Start Menu. Just how n00bish can these sheeple'tards be to be this mistaken after all this time! Another aspect of the Start Menu that's missing from the Metro Start Screen is that you can open recently used files with just two clicks by selecting "Recent Items." (And yes, you can hover over "Recent Items" and the list of recently opened files will fly open, even in Vista and 7.) No search or typing of filenames needed. Moreover, in 7 you can also hover over, say, MS Word in the Start Menu, and a list of recent documents will fly open. These features are useful if, as for me, your work tends to involve working on the same set of files for weeks at a time. In addition, of course, the Start Menu in any of its flavors will also automatically provide you with a list of frequenlty used applications. for quick opening, you don't have to manually move them to the first screenful as in the Start Screen. Another thing that the Start Screen's defenders neglect is that, due to the much lesser information density of the tiles vs. a Start Menu list, it takes longer for the eye to find what you're looking for. With the Start Menu, I can take in all the items in a "screenful" at once, whereas with the Start Screen my eyes would have to scan up and down and left and right to absorb all the listings. BTW, I can confirm the XP Start Menu behavior that you describe. You don't even have to click on "All Programs," just hovering over it will open that list and any submenus for you. --JorgeA

The proverbial loophole you can drive a truck through: How the NSA Used a 'Loophole' to Spy on Americans NSA performed warrantless searches on Americans' calls and emails – Clapper --JorgeA

Well, with all due respect for the nice kid : it has to be said how the flaw: is actually a flaw that even a 5 year old boy could find. I mean, what do the good guys at MS that designed that login mechanism have inside their skulls? Popcorn, polystyrene foam or just vacuum? jaclaz That is unbelievable!! OTOH, if there is a way to call up an Xbox login screen remotely, this flaw would present a handy little technique for snoopers to get into the home of any Xbox owner they want. --JorgeA