Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Chaos in the MicroVerse ( continued ) ...

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer would like a 'redo' for company's phone efforts ( NeoWin 2014-03-04 )

Ballmer indicated he might want to use a time machine to go back and make some different decisions.

In his first public appearance since leaving the CEO gig, Ballmer told a group of students at Oxford's Said Business School that he had a few regrets while he was leader at Microsoft.

"If you look at things in the last 10 years, it's probably fair to say there are things that did not go as well as we intended them to," he said. "We would have a stronger position in the phone market today, for example, if I could redo last the 10 years."

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 )

Last year, Ballmer proposed the acquisition of Nokia's Devices and Services unit. The board was not only reluctant to move into hardware, they also found the deal quite expensive. Despite of the opposition from many top executives, he wanted to have his way, and tried hard for it. At a board meeting held in June, he even shouted and threatened to resign. He was so loud that his shouts could be heard outside the conference room.

Later, he got most of what he wanted, when the board agreed to a $7.2 billion purchase of Nokias mobile phone business. Although he was deeply hurt that Gates didn't back him. Bloomberg's sources claim the directors were frustrated by Ballmer's tendency to talk more than listen, and his reaction to the pushback on Nokia was for some the last straw.

Ballmer had also appointed Penn and Tami Reller as joint in charge of marketing aspects, a move that didn't go down well with Reller, who later asked Ballmer to choose between them. Reller is now leaving Microsoft, and will be replaced by Chris Capossela.

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 )

Microsoft has released its fair share of ad campaigns in the last few years, from the dancers in the first Surface TV commercials to the most recent "Honestly" series. Now the company is reportedly launching an overhaul of its marketing strategy, and that also means it is taking proposals and bids from ad agencies, all of whom would love to have a piece of Microsoft's large marketing budget.

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 )

Microsoft continues to make major changes in both its executive team and its board of directors. Today, the company announced that ValueAct Capital president Mason Morfit has been added as a member of its board, increasing the number of members to 11.

Today's announcement was expected as ValueAct bought a $2 billion stake in Microsoft about a year ago, with rumors that the investment firm wanted to stir the pot in order to make some changes at the company. Since then, Microsoft announced a major reorganization, followed by the resignation announcement of its CEO Steve Ballmer. In September, Microsoft officially invited Morfit to join the board.

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 )

Has Microsoft offered any extra development support for the VLC app?

Once again, mixed feelings. Some people of Microsoft have been AMAZINGLY helpful and supportive, mostly engineers. I'm not sure I'm allowed to name them, though... But, at the same time, managers, and notably Microsoft France, have promised a lot of help and did not give anything, not even one surface RT... We've been bounced through Microsoft divisions, hopelessly... There is a very notable exception, from Microsoft Canada! that helped us in numerous ways!

Dysfunction within Microsoft, one of their worst kept secrets. Lumbering along like a brontosaurus just waiting for that asteroid. Any time now.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

'Spring Update' for Windows 8.1 announced ( NeoWin 2014-02-23 )

The update - which is referred to internally as 'Update 1' - adds a title bar to Modern apps, and the ability to pin them to the taskbar as well as currently running Modern apps being present on the taskbar with jumplist and in some cases media control support.

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 )

Microsoft won't be officially releasing Windows 8.1 Update 1 until after their BUILD conference in April, but late on Thursday the company accidentally leaked the update to the public. Eager users were able to make a small registry change that made the updates show up in Windows Update, or download it all through direct links to Microsoft's servers.

As with any leak or workaround like this, proceed with caution as you can bork your Windows install.

Update: Microsoft has plugged the registry tweak and removed the files from the known Microsoft server locations, but you can find the bits on MDL forums or just look through our comments.

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 has come under fire for a new advertisement promoting Windows systems over those inferior Macs that lack touchscreens. Short and to the point, the ad says Macs suck for planning weddings because you can't tap the display. Well, you can tap the display, but nothing will happen, and somehow that will hinder a woman's ability to plan out her wedding. Oh yes, did we mention? Microsoft's ad for a touch-friendly all-in-one PC running Windows 8 is targeted at women, and the way it goes about it, some are crying foul.

Let's first address the easier, less controversial topic, that being how Macs are inept wedding planners. Hey, we love our Windows rig just as much as the next guy, but it surely seems Microsoft missed the mark with this criticism. Assuming the lack of touch support really would hinder one's ability to pick out a wedding dress or tuxedo, couldn't a person just pick up an iPad or an Android tablet? Or use their smartphone?

Whatever, it is what it is, and this wouldn't be the first time Microsoft put out an ad with questionable content. However, it's also not the first to elicit claims of sexism. Just a few months ago, Microsoft made available custom letter templates publicizing the Xbox One console. The letters were supposed to be a fun and humorous way for guys to convince their girlfriends or wives they need an Xbox One, though phrases like "You'd rather knit than watch me slay zombies, but hear me out on this" didn't sit well with female gamers.

Microsoft is becoming The Born Loser of technology. The Clark W. Griswold of computing.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

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 )

A few days back, it was stated that Microsoft would be slashing the price of Windows 8.1 for low end devices by up to 70%. The cut will lower the price of $50 per device to $15 for devices under $250 which will be a noticeable improvement for vendors and consumers, according to the previous report, and it appears that the information is accurate.

While Microsoft did not come forward and say We slashed prices by 70% the companys Joe Belfiore posted up on the Windows blog that Well enable our partners to build lower cost hardware for a great Windows experience at highly competitive price points. This clearly aligns to the previous report of the prices being cut on lower-end devices.

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 )

Microsoft has announced it will soon slash the U.K. price of its recently released Xbox One console to £399.99, a cut of £30 that will leave it just £50 more expensive than Sony's PlayStation 4 in the country. No price drop has been announced for other markets.

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 )

A few days ago, Microsoft confirmed (kind of) that it was drastically reducing the costs for OEMs to license Windows 8.1. Now there's a new rumor that the company could do the same for the Windows Phone license as well.

The report comes from PCMag.com, who quotes Joseph Ram, the CEO of the low cost Android phone maker Infosonics, as saying, "We're hearing Microsoft will drop the license fee quite a bit, as far as 70 percent, which will make their product more competitive in terms of price." He added that if this is true, Ram said that Infosonics would consider making Windows Phone devices. We have contacted Microsoft to see if they wish to comment on this report.

According to The Times of India, Microsoft has waived the Windows Phone license fee to two phone makers in India -- Lava and Karbonn. These companies already offer Android phones, and Microsoft hopes that by removing the Windows Phone license fee, they'll be able to offer some intriguing and affordable WP handsets as well.

One thing that's interesting about the deals reportedly being doled out by Microsoft is that they trump even what the software maker was willing to offer Nokia, which itself is believed to have paid between $20 to $30 for each Lumia device it sold.

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 ).

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

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 )

Today, a new report on ZDNet from well connected journalist Mary Jo Foley claims, via unnamed sources, that Windows 8.1 with Bing is an experiment for Microsoft. She writes that while the actual SKU has only minor differences from the other versions of Windows 8.1, it could be a way for Microsoft to offer Bing-related incentives for either consumers or OEMs which could make Windows free in the future.

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 )

I can report now that Windows 8.1 with Bing is nothing more than the low-cost version of Windows that Microsoft will offer to hardware makers that sell PCs for less than $250. And it comes with no restrictions for users at all.

With one difference: PC makers will not be able to change the default search engine using Microsoft or 3rd party deployment tools. So when a user who buys such a PC starts Internet Explorer, Bing will automatically be configured as the default Search Engine. And no other Internet Explorer defaults are changed. And, yes, the user can change the default search provider. Only the PC maker cannot.

The deal basically breaks down like this: In return for shipping PCs with Bing set as the default search providerand thus not entering into a crapware deal with Google or some other search providerPC makers can save money on Windows licensing.

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 )

Microsoft is rumored to be planning an expansion of its OneNote software to new platforms as well as developers. A report on ZDNet claims, via unnamed sources, that Microsoft will release a free version of OneNote for Mac users, along with a stand alone version for the Windows desktop.

[...]

ZDNet also reports that Microsoft is planning to open up the OneNote API so that third party developers can create their own apps that incorporate the note taking software. This is apparently an attempt to expand the use of OneNote to be more competitive with other software, particularly Evernote.

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 )

Microsoft is offering a new and cheaper way for home users to access Office 365. Today, the company announced Office 365 Personal, which gives the subscriber one PC/Mac license for Office plus one tablet, and charges the user $6.99 a month or $69.99 for a year.

The price is well below that of Microsoft's other Office consumer subscription plan, Office 365 Home Premium, which launched in January 2013 and costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year for installing the software suite on up to five PCs.

[...]

Office 365 Home Premium, which currently has over 3.5 million subscribers...

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.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

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 )

Nokia's plans for its first Android-based smartphone have been the talk of the Internet for several months but today the company finally confirmed plans to release such a device, the Nokia X, during its press conference today at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. In fact it will launch three devices; the Nokia X, the Nokia X + and the Nokia XL

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 ...

"This. What I see is a "###### MS" move by Nokia."

Oh very intentionally. There has been the anti-MS group in Nokia, especially the developers that feel the partnership killed their OS, which was already dead.

This project was to replace the low end Asha devices originally, but with Microsoft taking over the mobile division, they pushed to get these out before the takeover, hoping that Microsoft would have obligation to sell them as a big F U.

This is also why they adhered to the Nokia/Microsoft agreements and the devices use and promote Skype/OneDrive/etc - so that Microsoft couldn't have stopped their production prior to take over.

An Android fan would be insane to buy these and WP fans aren't going to touch them either.

Microsoft announced yesterday they were ripping down the hardware restrictions on WP, so these lower end devices have no reason to not use WP8.1, as the hardware certification process has been removed with even wider driver support for additional Android catered chipsets, and even supporting lower memory and lower resolutions. Which leaves WP having an even lower hardware entry point than Android Kitkat.

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 )

Now, a new report from CNET suggests that Microsoft is unsure whether it would use the Nokia brand at all, as Greg Sullivan, Director of Windows Phone, declined to confirm whether the brand will survive. The once iconic brand gave Windows Phone the much needed boost in markets which were traditionally ignored by Microsoft but now it seems that we may not see another Nokia phone unless the company re-enters the market in 2016 after certain terms of the deal between the two tech companies expire.

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 )

Xbox Live game integration has been a major feature of Windows Phone since its launch in 2010, allowing users to unlock achievements, add to their gamerscore and play games with their friends right from their smartphone. However if a recent job posting is to go by, Microsoft may be looking to bring similar Xbox Live functionality to other platforms.

Sleeping with the enemy.

Could Microsoft's Internet Explorer head to Android? ( NeoWin 2014-03-04 )

According to Twitter user @dovellonsky, Microsoft could release a browser on Googles Android platform which is used by the majority of smartphone users in the world[

Technie News reports the project would be one of Microsofts biggest projects in the mobile app department by far. The rumoured app would join Internet Explorer's Xbox One version which was revealed in November last year.

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 )

Based on the app listing, Connect to Microsoft OneDrive appears to be published by BlackBerry and not by Microsoft. We have contacted Microsoft to see if this is indeed an officially supported OneDrive app. Update: Microsoft has indeed confirmed with us that the BlackBerry 10 app is indeed an official OneDrive app for the OS.

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.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

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 )

Microsoft may have announced earlier today that LG is a "new" hardware developer for Windows Phone, but it looks like the Taiwan-based company has no plans to make handsets that use the OS any time in the near future.

[...]

LG launched two of the first Windows Phone 7 devices back in October 2010 with the LG Optimus 7, shown above, and LG Quantum. However, those phones did not sell well and LG has not released any new devices with the OS since then. A year ago, the company hinted that it would make new Windows Phone products if there was enough demand for them, with a spokesperson saying, "When there's a significant market for it, we will be on board." Today's statements make it sound like LG isn't quite ready to jump into the Windows Phone market yet.

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 )

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that it had signed up nine new hardware partners to Windows Phone 8. Among various companies new to the platform, two manufacturers that had previously launched Windows Phone 7 devices are returning: LG and ZTE.

However, one brand to have offered Windows Phones before, but which is not returning to the OS, is Acer.

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 )

Windows Phone Italy posted up the screenshots, which were originally found on a Weibo account in China. As you can see, the Start Screen allows desktop wallpaper-like images to be placed in the background of the Start Screen. That's because the screen can be set to offer a transparent look, which allows for any image to be put behind the Live Tiles.

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.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

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 )

Hardware makers are in a mad rush to cash in on the mobile craze, including smartphones, which are hot ticket items right now. However, growth in the smartphone sector won't always be astronomical, as has mostly been the case up to this point. Instead, market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that smartphone growth will drop to single-digit territory within the next few years.

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 )

Ford could be ready to make a major change for the next generation version of its Sync in-car computing system. Bloomberg reports that the company will use the QNX OS, owned by BlackBerry, as the basis for the next Sync, taking the place of the version of Windows that is being used in the current iteration of the technology.

Ford co-developed Sync with Microsoft and it made its début inside a few cars in 2007. It has since been put into seven million Ford vehicles. In 2012, Ford and Microsoft said they were already working on the version of Sync, code-named Evos.

However, Bloomberg reports, via unnamed sources, that Ford has seen owner satisfaction of its cars go down in the past few years and is looking to improve the quality of its vehicles. That includes its on-board technology, which is becoming more important for new car buyers. The story claims that using BlackBerry's QNX OS will improve Sync's speed and readability while also being less expensive than Microsoft's Windows. ONX is already being used inside cars made by BMW and Audi.

Problems with Sync are so bad that Ford's overall reliability ratings have plummeted in recent years. Ford at one point even mailed software updates on USB flash drives to its customers. However, Ford noted this week that the reliability issues with Sync and MyFord Touch are not the fault of Microsoft's underlying software platform, which is a version of Windows Embedded Automotive.

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 )

It was just two weeks ago today that Sony announced that worldwide sales of its PlayStation 4 console had exceeded 5.3 million units since it launched in mid-November. Today, the company announced that over 6 million PS4 consoles have now been bought by consumers; Sony most likely got a big boost in PS4 sales thanks to its launch in Japan 10 days ago.

[...]

Microsoft has not offered an update on worldwide Xbox One sales since early January, when it announced that it has sold over 3 million units of its console since it launched November 22nd. Microsoft has yet to give any concrete details on when or where the Xbox One will expand its sales beyond its current 13 international markets. By contrast, the PS4 is currently on sale in over 50 countries and territories.

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 )

Google on Thursday revealed significant price cuts for its Google Drive cloud storage and synchronization service. Effective immediately, each paid tier is now cheaper than it was yesterday which will no doubt put even more pressure on the competition.

[...]

How do Googles new prices compared to their rivals, you ask? A quick check at Dropbox reveals a 100GB plan sells for $9.99 while Microsoft charges $25 and $50 for 50GB and 100GB of storage, respectively. Of course, each service has its pros and cons to consider but at these new prices, itll be hard to pass over Google Drive for the value alone.

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.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

The Competition and related ...

Mozilla to launch $25 Firefox OS smartphones; OS coming to TVs, tablets ( NeoWin 2014-02-27 )

All of the devices seen running the OS so far have targeted the low end, and Mozilla clearly sees a massive opportunity in connecting the billions of people around the world who still have no access to the web.

But many of these people must survive on the very lowest incomes imaginable, and for some, a smartphone is a luxury that they simply cannot afford. Mozilla is targeting those who lie towards that end of the income spectrum, with plans in the works to launch a $25 smartphone.

OnePlus now says its 'world's best smartphone' will cost under $400 ( NeoWin 2014-02-27 )

Weve been following OnePlus closely since it announced last year that it planned to build a perfect smartphone at a disruptive price. Since then, weve heard a couple of minor details of its specs, and a few days ago, we even heard the first hint of how much we can expect it to cost.

Now, after declaring just five days ago that the companys first device will launch for under $500 off-contract, OnePlus says that its One device will in fact go on sale for under $400. Priced under $500 doesnt mean $499, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau said in a post on Google Plus. The OnePlus One will definitely be available for under $400.

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 ...

Let's do away with blurry photos, Ellen! | @TheEllenShow #Oscars #Blessed #blurry pic.twitter.com/56p0xQO2WV

Nokia USA (@NokiaUS) March 3, 2014

... 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 )

The touchscreen has overtaken every other toy for children, new research has found.

The poll found more than 60% of parents claiming that their child uses a touchscreen.

They have overtaken dolls, action figures, board games and other traditional toys - and experts say their popularity is still rocketing.

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 ).

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

The Strange and Unusual ...

Apple denies dead woman's family from using her iPad ( NeoWin 2014-03-07 )

So far the family has provided Apple with the death certificate, copy of the will and a solicitor's letter, but the company wants proof that Anthea was the owner of the iPad and iTunes account.

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 )

the boy had racked up a bill of £420 GBP (around $700 USD) on his mothers credit card, purchasing games for his Xbox. He was said to be upset after being confronted by his mother, Eve, about the sizeable bill. She told the inquest that Henry was "genuinely stunned" by how much money he had spent on gaming purchases. He had even told his mother to take the money from his savings to make up for it.

Henry later spoke with his girlfriend on Facebook in a conversation that included discussion of Declan Gatenby - a 13-year-old friend who had hanged himself earlier in the year. After speaking with his girlfriend more about his situation, he told her on Facebook, Im going to kill myself. He immediately proceeded to do so, and his body was found minutes later.

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 )

In a new interview on Rolling Stone's website today, Nguyen said that he felt the game he had created was becoming too much of a distraction for a number of his players. He said he received emails from people who claim to have lost their jobs because they kept playing "Flappy Birds" so he decided to take it down. That hasn't stopped him from continuing to receive lots of money from people who keep playing the game ('Flappy Birds' is free but gets revenue from running in-app ads).

Meanwhile, Nguyen continues to develop new ideas for games, but says he is "considering" a relaunch of "Flappy Birds". He says that if the game ever does become available again, it will come with a warning: "Please take a break."

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 ...

But the biggest shock arrived when Nguyen decided to pull the game from the stores. His tweet "I am sorry 'Flappy Bird' users, 22 hours from now, I will take 'Flappy Bird' down. I cannot take this anymore" was retweeted more than 145,000 times, and the 10 million people downloaded the game in those 22 hours.

What motivated his move was messages and emails he received as feedback. He was heartbroken to learn that a mother stopped talking to her kids, people lost their jobs, kids broke their phones, and more. The simple fellow couldn't take the criticism and accusations, and pulled the game.

Nguyen said that he feels relieved after taking Flappy Bird down, and is not working on the next version. He also revealed that he is currently working on three new games -- a cowboy-themed shooter, an action chess game, and a vertical flying game, one of which he plans to release this month.

... 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 )

The Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles run interactive ad banners on their dashboards. This isn't new; that kind of activity has been going on for a while now. So far, most of them have been for products like cars or for movies. If Microsoft has its way, the near future could see your Xbox One dashboard turn into a political ad location, at least in the U.S.

The Washington Post reports that Microsoft representatives were passing out promotional materials this week at the annual CPAC conservative political conference in Washington DC. The documents were plugging Microsoft's Xbox Live, Skype and MSN services to current and potential candidates as a source for running campaign ads.

The materials stated that Microsoft could create a database of Xbox Live users that could be used as the basis for political ads that would show up in the dashboard of Xbox consoles. Presumably, the ads would be targeted at specific audiences and demographics; in other words, a person living in New York City would see ads for their local candidates while an L.A. resident would see a different set of political messages aimed at their districts.

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 )

A reader of The Register contacted the site saying he was asked to fork out the money for the convenience. According to The Register, after their enquiries to Mozilla, sources at the company replied that they had launched a preliminary consultation with legal teams, but this process was at "an early stage."

[...]

While we know that OEMs are in the business of making money off bloatware that is usually preloaded on systems, this particular "service" probably takes the whole concept a little too far.

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.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Posturing is a sign of weakness ...

Microsoft forming team to "win back" game developers with "modern" open source framework ( NeoWin 2014-03-02 )

The goal of Microsoft's new team is pretty straightforward; it wants to "win back our game developers from our competitors." The listing adds, "We will create a modern framework that is open source, light-weight, extensible and scalable across various platforms including Windows Store, Windows Phone, iOS and Android."

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 )

The rumors have also been fueled by statements from the company of what it will talk about as part of the 2014 Game Developers Conference in mid-March. One of the sessions has this description:

"You asked us to bring you even closer to the metal and to do so on an unparalleled assortment of hardware. You also asked us for better tools so that you can squeeze every last drop of performance out of your PC, tablet, phone and console. Come learn our plans to deliver."

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 ...

The company [Microsoft] added that a change to just supporting ODF will "increase costs, cause dissatisfaction amongst citizens and businesses, add complexity to the process of dealing with government and negatively impact some suppliers to government." The Standards Hub is currently accepting opinions from the public on the proposal on its website until Feb. 26.

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.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

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 ...

Nearly seven months after Microsoft first added Skype integration into Outlook.com for U.S. residents, the company is now allowing users of the email service worldwide to access the Skype messaging and call features.

In a post on the Skype blog, Microsoft states that in addition to opening up Skype to all Outlook.com users, it has added some improvements since it was first released in August 2013. One of them is full HD video calls, if users at both ends of the chat have HD compatible displays and webcams. Microsoft has also included a plugin for Mac users who access their emails via the Safari web browser to use the Skype features.

( 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's Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET) has been bypassed by a group of researchers at the Bromium Labs security firm, which means that hackers could also potentially learn how to circumvent the program in an attempt to install malware.

EMET is supposed to help with stopping malware and exploits on Windows PCs that have yet to be patched by Microsoft. However, the report from Bromium Labs claims they were able to bypass all of the protections that Microsoft has put into EMET 4.1, the most recent version of the program.

Microsoft releases technical preview of EMET 5.0 ( NeoWin 2014-02-26 )

Microsoft's release of the preview build of EMET 5.0 was timed to coincide with the annual RSA Conference this week. The application is supposed to help with stopping malware and exploits on Windows PCs that have yet to be patched by Microsoft. The 5.0 preview includes two new features to the program that will be put into the final version of the software. One of them is called Attack Surface Reduction, which is designed to fight off exploits caused by Java and Flash Player plug-ins. The other new feature is Export Address Table Filtering Plus, which adds some new capabilities to the existing EAF functions.

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 )

This malware is sick: The experimental "Chameleon" malware spreads rapidly among Wi-Fi networks in densely populated areas, much as a disease spreads through crowded urban areas.

Developed in a laboratory at the University of Liverpool in England, Chameleon is the first malware known to propagate by hopping from one Wi-Fi network to another.

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 )

Attacks such as this are only possible thanks to vulnerabilities in the router's firmware. Team Cymru reports that most users affected by the attack reside in Vietnam, India and Italy - countries where ISPs likely supply affected routers - although some United States users were also hit.

( 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 )

Clicking on the link leads you to a fake YouTube page so realistic that it even has an age gate, which claims the video's content is restricted due to YouTube's community guidelines. The age gate is easy to bypass, but once you get to the actual video, the page will claim Adobe Flash Player has crashed and you need to install an update.

Needless to say, you shouldn't install that fake Flash Player update. But it may be too late, because the malicious YouTube page will attempt to infect your browser with a drive-by download as soon as you land on it.

The downloaded Trojan installs itself as a browser extension, accesses your own Facebook photos and then repeats the infection process by promising your Facebook friends more naked videos -- this time, of you.

Good anti-virus software will block the drive-by download, but you might still be tricked into clicking the "Update Flash Player" button on the fraudulent YouTube player, which also triggers the infection.

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.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

The Cloud is your friend ...

Dropbox's terms of service changes met with anger in user comments ( NeoWin 2014-02-21 )

In the blog post, one of the changes that was mentioned was that Dropbox will be adding a way to use arbitration to settle disputes between the company and its users. The blog states that Dropbox feels that such a move is a "faster way" to settle such cases. However, going to the actual terms of service page itself reveals something else. Dropbox will now prohibit its users from entering any class action lawsuits made against it.

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 )

The two Internet powerhouses agree that it's time to stop fearing cloud security and embrace the future at the annual RSA Conference.

The cloud is secure enough to use, said panelists at the annual RSA Conference in San Francisco on Wednesday. From left to right: Bruce Schneier, independent security analyst; Eran Feigenbaum of Google; Wade Baker of Verizon; and Bret Arsenault of Microsoft.

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 )

Microsoft saw the number of requests from law enforcement agencies around the world asking for customer account information go down for all of 2013 compared to 2012. While the company got 75,378 such requests in 2012, 2013 saw a total of 72,279 inquires.

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 )

Bitcoin has had a rough go of it here lately but fortunately for the crypto-currency, it received a bit of good news on Thursday as Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen told the Senate Banking Committee that the Federal Reserve simply dont have the authority to supervise or regulate Bitcoin in any way.

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 )

Meetup co-founder and CEO Scott Heiferman, offered a timeline of the events. He received an email on Thursday, February 27th with the following message:

"A competitor asked me to perform a DDoS attack on your website. I can stop the attack for $300 USD. Let me know if you are interested in my offer."

The DDoS attacks then began and brought down the Meetup website. Heiferman said it took about a day to restore services but it got hit again by two more attacks; one on March 1st and the other on March 2. While the site is now back up and running, Heiferman said it was possible more attacks are planned.

As to the $300 extortion offer, Heiferman said that Meetup did not pay it because they simply won't negotiate with criminals. He also said that the low amount of money might also be a trick and that if the company had paid it off, the people responsible for the attacks might simply ask for more.

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 )

The security breach that led to the theft of some 40 million credit cards from Target late last year wasnt a result of poor security. The companys state-of-the-art security system did indeed detect the hack as soon as it started and alerts were sent out but nothing was done until two weeks later until federal investigators issued a warning.

According to a new report from Bloomberg Businessweek, Target started installing FireEye malware software some six months before the attack. And when hackers started uploading their code to Targets system, the alarm bells the most urgent on FireEyes graded scale went out. As the hackers uploaded different variants of the malware, more alerts were issued that pointed to unfamiliar malware.

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?

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

The Cloud is your friend ( no really it is! ) ...

Millions of Twitter users' passwords mistakenly reset in a system error ( NeoWin 2014-03-04 )

According to Re/code, the email was sent out to less than one percent of the total users. While this number may seem to be minimal, it works out to around 6,457,500 users out of a total of an estimated 645,750,000.

The cloud is your friend. Nothing to see here, move along.

Holy Data Breach, Batman! Hackers Hit Comixology ( Tom's Hardware 2014-03-06 )

Popular online and mobile digital-comics store Comixology informed its subscribers today (March 6) that "an unauthorized individual" had accessed its database of customers' usernames, email addresses and passwords.

However, the passwords were encrypted, Comixology said in its email to subscribers. Even if the passwords were stolen, they shouldn't be readable so long as the encryption was decent.

Comixology also said it didn't store users' payment information on its own servers, so the intruder wouldn't be able to access Comixology readers' credit-card numbers and other payment data.

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 )

Twitter's status page has been updated with the following message: "Most users are experiencing issues accessing Twitter on web and mobile apps. Were looking into it." As usual, the company did not offer any details on what might be wrong and how long the outage might last. Naturally, we will update this post when Twitter issues an update and/or services are back to normal.

Update: Twitter seems to be back up and running again. So far there's no official word on what happened to the service.

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 )

This has been going on for over two hours at the time of this writing. The Xbox Live alert page states, "We are aware of the issue and we have a stellar team working very hard to fix it. Thanks for being patient."

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 )

An IT expert has uncovered another flaw in the popular messaging service WhatsApp. According to Netherlands based technical consultant Bas Bosschert, Android WhatsApp users are at risk of having their messages stolen.

The cloud is ... well you know.

New FreedomPop Phone Promises to Preserve Your Privacy ( Tom's Hardware 2014-03-06 )

"In light of recent violations in consumer's privacy across social networks and mobile devices, privacy is becoming increasingly important to many Americans and we all have a right to communicate anonymously," said Steven Sesar, COO at FreedomPop.

FreedomPop claims that the Privacy Phone, which is a Samsung Galaxy S II, is the only smartphone and mobile service that enables encrypted communications. The device uses the company's VoIP network, which enables encrypted communication for voice calls and text messages. The phone also uses 128-bit encryption.

According to the company, the phone sends application and Internet data through a virtual private network, or VPN, meaning users will be completely anonymous online.

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 )

The solution which will utilize a PIN and a digital signature will be used to encrypt the data at sender's end and decrypt at the receiver's ends using the SIM. Data such as emails, documents, VPN connections and other forms of data communication will be secured using it. Currently, the Secure SIM solution uses S/MIME encryption but the company expects to use PGP in the future as the system becomes mature.

Make that two slivers of good news. No Such Agency was not available for comment.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

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 )

Optic Nerve is easily among the most invasive secret surveillance programs detailed over the past year. Yahoo's name has been tied to a number of them, and the company has been active in pushing for the government to at least allow it to release more data about government requests it receives. "We were not aware of nor would we condone this reported activity," a Yahoo spokesperson says in a statement to The Verge. "This report, if true, represents a whole new level of violation of our users' privacy that is completely unacceptable and we strongly call on the worlds governments to reform surveillance law consistent with the principles we outlined in December."

It seems that we are far from having learned the whole, ugly truth about government surveillance of citizens. After it emerged a few months ago that the NSA and other agencies had the capability to activate a users webcam remotely, and without the indicator light showing it is in use, it has now been revealed that UK intelligence agency GCHQ captured images from webcam chats of unsuspecting users.

According to The Guardian, GCHQ worked with Americas National Security Agency on a joint project called Optic Nerve. The program targeted Yahoo webcam chats between 2008 and 2010, but users were not targeted individually. Indeed, the method of collection appears somewhat indiscriminate, with still images captured and stored from the cam chats of over 1.8 million users within a single six-month period in 2008.

Images were seemingly collected at random regardless of whether or not an individual was considered to be a target. It wasnt uncommon for screenshots to contain sexually explicit content, the publication noted, as anywhere between three to 11 percent of imagery harvested by the GCHQ contained undesirable nudity.

Captured images were then fed into an automated facial recognition program that would match users with known targets.

A spokesperson for the agency said it is a longstanding policy not to comment on intelligence matters.

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 )

The GCHQ had initially considered using the Kinect for this same sort of surveillance. Although nothing apparently came out of it, several documents have shown that the GCHQ considered the Kinect camera to provide "fairly normal webcam traffic" which would be potentially useful as part of their wider Optic Nerve program.

Microsoft commented on the issue today in a response to Eurogamer, stating that they were "concerned" with the claims.

"Microsoft has never heard of this program. However, we're concerned about any reports of governments surreptitiously collecting private customer data. That's why in December we initiated a broad effort to expand encryption across our services and are advocating for legal reforms.

We're not aware of any surveillance activity. If it has occurred as reported, it certainly wasn't done with our consent."

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 )

Recent court documents reveal a troubling cell phone surveillance program conducted by a Florida police department against unsuspecting cell phone users.

[...]

It later became known that police didnt seek a warrant or admit to using a little-known surveillance device called a Stingray.

Stingrays are small mobile devices that trick cell phones into connecting to them as if they were cell phone towers. The technology gives police the ability to track phone movements and intercept both phone calls and text messages of any cell phone within range.

[...]

Now on appeal, courtroom deliberations revealed last week that the Tallahassee Police Department used a Stingray 200 times since 2010 without seeking a warrant.

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 )

"When our engineers work tirelessly to improve security, we imagine we're protecting you against criminals, not our own government," Zuckerberg says in an open letter to Facebook users. "The US government should be the champion for the internet, not a threat."

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.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Our Government Protectors hard at work ( continued ) ...

Snowden Says 'Many Other' Spy Programs Remain Secret, For Now ( US News 2014-03-07 )

Whistle-blower says U.S. missed Boston Marathon, 'underwear bomb' plots because NSA was 'tied up monitoring online games.'

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! ...

This guy is a Russian agent hellbent on sabotaging America and its superpower status. Sound familiar? Yeah, you-know-who is in on it too.

What's your fear? Are you worried that if America is weakened by Snowden's revelations that we'll get taken over by some police state type government that spies on everyone's emails and phone calls and spreads lies on the Internet with cyber personas, etc.? That would be terrible wouldn't it? We can't let that happen.

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 )

French security expert Eric Filiol was scheduled to give a talk this Friday (Mar. 14) about the possibility of cyberattacks on critical-infrastructure facilities in the United States.

But the talk, titled "Hacking 9/11: The next is likely to be even bigger with an ounce of cyber," was abruptly canceled yesterday (March 9), less than a week before it was to be presented at the CanSecWest security conference in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In a Google Plus posting, CanSecWest organizer Dragos Ruiu said that the French and U.S. governments had intervened, classifying Filiol's presentation apparently because of fears that criminals or terrorists could use it as a roadmap for carrying out the attacks on power plants, electrical grids and other pieces deemed critical infrastructure.

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 ...

The covert infrastructure that supports the hacking efforts operates from the agencys headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland, and from eavesdropping bases in the United Kingdom and Japan. GCHQ, the British intelligence agency, appears to have played an integral role in helping to develop the implants tactic.

In some cases the NSA has masqueraded as a fake Facebook server, using the social media site as a launching pad to infect a targets computer and exfiltrate files from a hard drive. In others, it has sent out spam emails laced with the malware, which can be tailored to covertly record audio from a computers microphone and take snapshots with its webcam. The hacking systems have also enabled the NSA to launch cyberattacks by corrupting and disrupting file downloads or denying access to websites.

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.