[JorgeA]

Formfiller, on 19 March 2013 - 08:07 AM, said:

Here's an pretty amusing rant by someone who got W8 with a new computer and didn't know it before:

http://sparklements....-just-like.html

I guess that story repeated many times in the past few months...

That was great. He has a ton of pointed comments on the UX, too many to start quoting here! My "favorite" one is the final Follow Up Observational Rant, where he's trying to carry out some complicated instructions off a Web page, and a Metro-style screen takes over his monitor, covering up the instructions he needed to read. Stoopid sh*t. (Now I'm sounding like that guy. )

--JorgeA

[HalloweenDocument12]

jaclaz, on 19 March 2013 - 06:52 AM, said:

RE: Windows 8 Accounts
Some more interesting points:
http://www.infoworld...accounts-191185
http://community.sky...nt/td-p/1148638
http://www.infinitec...rosoft-account/

Please do notice the dates of the above, I hope the good MS guys won't come back saying "you talked, we listened" or "noone ever told us that" ....

Yeah, who knew associating an email address with a local account would be an issue?

How Apple and Amazon Security Flaws Led to My Epic Hacking

Well, I guess he would.

Quote

And worst of all, my AppleID account was broken into, and my hackers used it to remotely erase all of the data on my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook.

Ouch.

[jaclaz]

Hey mates , how many posts are actually ON Topic lately?

Too many!

Here is an Off Topic , but not much one:
http://phetdreams.tu...y-privacy-issue

Quote

If you bought the app on Google Play (even if you cancelled the order) I have your email address, your suburb, and in many instances your full name. Each Google Play order is treated as a Google wallet transaction and as such software developers get all of the information (sans exact address) for an order of an app that they would get from the order of something physical.

Quote

Let me make this crystal clear, every App purchase you make on Google Play gives the developer your name, suburb and email address with no indication that this information is actually being transferred. With the information I have available to me through the checkout portal I could track down and harass users who left negative reviews or refunded the app purchase. The problems on android of app permissions (and subsequent potential for malware aside) is one of active negative behaviour on the part of an app developer. This isn’t. This is a massive oversight by Google.

More here:
http://www.benedelma...s/021913-1.html

Quote

Nolan noted two clear problems: First, a developer could use customer contact details to track and harass users who left negative reviews or sought refunds. Second, an attacker could write malware that, running on app developers' computers, logs into Google's systems to collect user data. While one might hope app developers would keep their computers secure from such malware, there are tens of thousands of Android developers. Some are bound to have poor security on some local machines. Users' data shouldn't be vulnerable to the weakest link among these thousands of developers. An attacker could devise a highly deceptive attack with information about which users bought which apps when -- yielding customized, accurate emails inviting users to provide passwords (actually phishing) or install updates (actually malware).

jaclaz

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

HalloweenDocument12, on 19 March 2013 - 10:43 AM, said:

jaclaz, on 19 March 2013 - 06:52 AM, said:

RE: Windows 8 Accounts
Some more interesting points:
http://www.infoworld...accounts-191185
http://community.sky...nt/td-p/1148638
http://www.infinitec...rosoft-account/

Please do notice the dates of the above, I hope the good MS guys won't come back saying "you talked, we listened" or "noone ever told us that" ....

Yeah, who knew associating an email address with a local account would be an issue?

How Apple and Amazon Security Flaws Led to My Epic Hacking

Well, I guess he would.

Quote

And worst of all, my AppleID account was broken into, and my hackers used it to remotely erase all of the data on my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook.

Ouch.

Lots of Generation Xbox fanboys are learning a similar lesson, today. ...

UPDATED: Xbox Entertainment Awards blighted by security breach ( MCV 2013-03-19 )

Microsoft's Xbox Entertainment Awards website hit with security breach ( NeoWin 2013-03-19 )

Microsoft team members targeted in Xbox Live account attacks ( NeoWin 2013-03-20 )

Microsoft confirms 'high-profile' employee Xbox Live accounts hacked ( The Verge 2013-03-19 )

NeoWin article said:

MCV reports they were alerted to the security breach by a reader who sent them a link where the private information was available for anyone else to see. The data on the page included the real names of the people who voted in the awards, along with their email addresses, birthdays and their Xbox Gamertags. The reader claims that about 2,892 names were shown on the site. It is not yet known how long the page was available to the public.

ScreenCap of the image at the links ...


... looks like that list is something that might be useful to a hacker and/or spammer. I guess a whole lot of people will now be changing email addresses and Xbox tags.

Welcome to our Brave New World where your personal data is perfectly safe.

EDIT: added more articles, updated image URL

This post has been edited by CharlotteTheHarlot: 15 May 2013 - 05:59 PM

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Formfiller, on 19 March 2013 - 08:07 AM, said:

Here's an pretty amusing rant by someone who got W8 with a new computer and didn't know it before:

http://sparklements....-just-like.html

I guess that story repeated many times in the past few months...

Just as the author mentions, its amazing how many Dilbert cartoons accurately describe Windows 8 and/or Metro.

This one I used way back in this thread ( when Sinofsky and Harris justifying their destruction of Windows by citing bogus telemetry ) ...



EDIT: spacing, changed image URL

This post has been edited by CharlotteTheHarlot: 06 May 2013 - 08:11 AM

[jaclaz]

Hmmm. now really OT, meanwhile in the UK:
http://www.education...design/baseline

http://www.dezeen.co...hool-buildings/

Quote

The reports call for "simple, orthogonal forms" with "no curves or ‘faceted’ curves" and having "minimal indents, ‘dog legs’ and notches in the plan shapes". They also state that buildings should have "no glazed curtain walling or ETFE roofs".

the future of (public school) architecture and design is doomed (you see, you start by making windows flat, and see where it brings you), the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) promptly emitting their concerns, that are really worth some comment (just the first three):

Quote

1. A failure to create functional spaces for excellent teaching

The RIBA is concerned that a ‘one size fits all’ approach will place a straitjacket on future generations of teaching professionals and quickly render these schools redundant in the light of developments in pedagogy and technology.

Cannot say about developments in pedagogy , but I can tell you about a couple things on the light of technology ones, which seems pretty dim.

Quote

2. Not ensuring discipline and student wellbeing

The minimal circulation spaces have the potential for serious congestion, with the consequential impact on behaviour and wellbeing. The designs for secondary schools include narrow corridors and concealed stairs that are difficult to supervise; in many schools this is likely to result in the need for additional staff supervision to maintain good behaviour and avoid bullying.

I wonder how the heck did we survive all those years in cubic/rectangular school buildings without getting chokied to death in occasion of a serious congestion , and without being killed/harmed by bullying practices, inevitable wherever concealed stairs are in use.

Quote

3. Ignoring the safeguarding of environmental comfort

The low energy environmental strategy is welcomed but the success of the layout is predicated on optimal conditions that may be difficult to achieve in reality. Relatively minor changes in orientation, internal finishes, or structural systems will significantly affect lighting, ventilation, heat gain and acoustics, which will in turn negatively impact on teaching and learning; eg well-ventilated and well-lit classrooms are crucial to aiding and extending student concentration.

Well-ventilated well-lit classroom (that can BTW be made in any normal rectangular building) are essential for kids to concentrate on angrybirds or chatting online (the two main activities currently carried on in school classrooms).

NO, seriously, meanwhile in London....

Spoiler

jaclaz

This post has been edited by jaclaz: 19 March 2013 - 01:41 PM

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Formfiller, on 19 March 2013 - 09:25 AM, said:

I have the feeling that you guys will love this thread:

http://hardforum.com...d.php?t=1751038

Lots of good 8tard stuff there. I am feeling like a child in a candy store.

I honestly don't know how you manage to do it, you must have an extra patience gene! ...

assorted butt-hurt MetroTards said:

Do you just follow all win8/surface posts to just post useless crap like this? We get it, you think win8 sucks.... you don't need to add your useless opinion to every effing thread.

Lol... look at his previous 100 posts. Almost all of them mention Win 8 being a failure in some way or another.

You can save your response. I forgot about the ignore list, which just got a new member.

how do you do that?

Under User CP. Add his username to the ignore list.

Stop calling Windows 8 a failure! Leave Metro alone! How can I block this guy! I don't wanna hear him no more!

Here's a peek at those commenters through their webcams ...

[SIW2]

I laughed out loud at the cartoon.

Thanks.

CharlotteTheHarlot, on 19 March 2013 - 01:16 PM, said:

Formfiller, on 19 March 2013 - 08:07 AM, said:

Here's an pretty amusing rant by someone who got W8 with a new computer and didn't know it before:

http://sparklements....-just-like.html

I guess that story repeated many times in the past few months...

Just as the author mentions, its amazing how many Dilbert cartoons accurately describe Windows 8 and/or Metro.

This one I used way back in this thread ( when Sinofsky and Harris justifying their destruction of Windows by citing bogus telemetry ) ...



EDIT: spacing

[JorgeA]

jaclaz, on 19 March 2013 - 01:36 PM, said:

Hmmm. now really OT, meanwhile in the UK:
http://www.education...design/baseline

http://www.dezeen.co...hool-buildings/

Quote

The reports call for "simple, orthogonal forms" with "no curves or ‘faceted’ curves" and having "minimal indents, ‘dog legs’ and notches in the plan shapes". They also state that buildings should have "no glazed curtain walling or ETFE roofs".

the future of (public school) architecture and design is doomed (you see, you start by making windows flat, and see where it brings you), the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) promptly emitting their concerns

Amazing -- so it's not just computing, this flatness thing is an emerging esthetic.

Now I understand why 3D TVs haven't caught on in the market: they run counter to the current trend!

Just wait till this fashion hits automobiles. We'll have boxy cars (no rounded edges!) and, naturally, flat tires.

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

A website that @jaclaz linked to a couple of days ago led me to this item:

The reason we don't have Metro Office yet

Quote

One of the major lacking features in the newest Office: no Metro applications. In fact, the only reason Windows RT has a desktop at all is because the Office team was unable to create Metro applications in time for the release of Windows RT. I often thought this was a classic case of two important divisions within Microsoft not getting along and not being aligned, but now that I have my own Surface RT, I'm starting to realise that there's a far simpler, and thus more likely, explanation: Metro is simply not ready for anything serious - or for anything at all, really.

Quote

Having come to that realisation, I am convinced that at least part of the reason for the lack of Metro Office stems from the sobering fact that WinRT simply isn't up to the task of forming the base of something as complex as Office. I mean, there's a progress bar (!) when copying/pasting in the only Metro Office application (the OneNote preview application).

--JorgeA

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

JorgeA, on 20 March 2013 - 09:11 AM, said:

The reason we don't have Metro Office yet

Well it's not for the lack of trying hoping, wishing and praying ...

Nvidia CEO describes Windows RT as 'disappointing,' says Microsoft can 'get it right' ( The Verge 2013-03-19 )

NVIDIA CEO really wants Outlook on Windows RT; prays to "Outlook God" ( NeoWin 2013-03-19 )

The "Outlook God" (Microsoft) won't speak of Windows RT port ( NeoWin 2013-03-20 )

Quote

While Huang's comments on Windows RT's current lack of success were to be expected, he then surprised the analysts by his pleas for Microsoft to launch an Outlook client that would run on Windows RT. In fact, he flat out said he has been praying to the "Outlook God" to make this happen.

He stated that if Outlook for Windows RT were released, "It would make my life complete. My life would be complete. I don't know about you guys but I would need nothing else. I am one Outlook away from computing nirvana and I just hoping he is listening now. Outlook God, please."

He later added, "I know there are smart people up there who are going to unleash the dragons of Outlook on the millions of consumers who are just waiting with bated breath for a very, very thin PC with long battery life that's Outlook compatible."

Inspired by a comment at The Verge
Of course as CEO of the ARM supplier for Windows RT devices perhaps he sees the tepid response to it's namesake Windows 8 and common ancestor Windows Phone as warning signs ...

• Windows 8 adoption at 2.79%, not growing as fast as Windows 7 ( TechSpot 2013-03-01 )
  
• Four months in: Windows 8 adoption is almost at a standstill ( ExtremeTech 2013-03-01 )
  
• Windows 8 uptake slows for third straight month ( PC World 2013-03-01 )
  
• Windows 8 market share up slightly in February to 2.79 percent ( NeoWin 2013-03-01 )
  
• Numbers Show Windows XP Still Rules The World ( Tom's Hardware 2013-03-03 )
  
• Samsung Exec Blames Windows 8 for Declining PC Market ( Tom's Hardware 2013-03-08 )
  
• Samsung puts the burn on Microsoft, disses Windows 8 ( NeoWin 2013-03-08 )
  
• Samsung Electronics exec blames Windows 8 for the decline of the PC ( The Verge 2013-03-08 )
  
• Samsung exec says Windows 8 is 'no better than' Windows Vista ( The Verge 2013-03-08 )
  
• Bloomberg: Surface sells only 1.5 million units, 400K are Pros ( NeoWin 2013-03-14 )
  
• Samsung CEO: "Lackluster demand" for Windows devices ( NeoWin 2013-03-15 )
  
• Only 1.5M Surface Devices Sold Since October 2012 ( Tom's Hardware 2013-03-18 )
  
• AT&T cuts prices in half for HTC Windows Phone 8X ( NeoWin 2013-03-18 )
  
• Analyst: 1 million Windows Phones sold in the US in 2012, seems dubious ( NeoWin 2013-03-19 )

Seriously, that is a SMALL sampling of the bad news during the past few weeks.

EDIT: added another article, updated image URL

This post has been edited by CharlotteTheHarlot: 15 May 2013 - 06:00 PM

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Microsoft tempts Windows developers with $100 cash for new apps ( The Verge 2013-03-19 )

Microsoft now paying devs to submit Windows 8/Windows Phone apps ( NeoWin 2013-03-19 )

Microsoft: Paying Windows 8 app makers is just a temporary program ( NeoWin 2013-03-20 )

Paying Developers to Support Windows 8 is a Slippery Slope ( Thurrott 2013-03-21 )

How's that Plan-A of Destroying Windows to grab mobile marketshare working out? What is this Plan-B? Oh wait, there is no Plan-B ( Microsoft CFO Says Company Has No Mobile 'Plan B' ) so I guess we're seeing Plan-A.3 or Plan-A.5?



Microsoft to support Windows Phone 8 until July 2014, no promise of future OS upgrades yet ( The Verge 2013-03-18 )

Windows Phone 8 support to end in 2014. Sign of Win Phone update or death knell? ( UK Register 2013-03-18 )

The WP End-of-Support debacle ( The Verge 2013-03-18 )

Simple miscommunication or a sign of trouble ahead? The answer cannot be determined yet. But considering recent actions by Microsoft who would automatically give them the benefit of the doubt these days?



Here's a few articles from earlier this month that went onto the back burner amidst all the drama in this thread ...

Windows 1.0 logo has been copied by HTC ( NeoWin 2013-02-28 )

HTC's Zoe Share and Microsoft's Windows 1.0 logo have a lot in common ( NeoWin 2013-03-03 )

IDC: Windows 8 users want Start menu and booting to desktop ( NeoWin 2013-03-10 )

Four months in, Windows 8 needs help ( CNet 2013-03-09 )

IDC: Lack of Start Button Deflates Windows 8 Interest ( Tom's Hardware 2013-03-13 )

Basically some MicroZealots believe that an HTC design looks something like the old Windows v1.0 logo. Sorry. Of course these same MicroZealots should go back to Post #789 in this thread where we see Microsoft actually ripping off Microsoft, and apparently never realizing they did it to themselves.

The other articles are but a small sample of many recent ones describing the general awakening to the fact that Windows 8 Plan-A was ridiculous and full of holes. A fact that was clear as days to many commenters here in this very thread thousands of posts ago. The stories still manage to understate the obvious though. But they seem to be noticing.

EDIT: added more articles

This post has been edited by CharlotteTheHarlot: 22 March 2013 - 12:24 AM

[G8YMW]

I see on the "4 months in, Windows8 needs help" thread, I see there is talk of Microsoft dropping prices of Win8 to help PC sales.
I think a lemon tastes bitter no matter what the price.
Or should I say the damage has already been done?

[JorgeA]

CharlotteTheHarlot, on 20 March 2013 - 02:26 PM, said:

Microsoft tempts Windows developers with $100 cash for new apps ( The Verge 2013-03-19 )

Microsoft now paying devs to submit Windows 8/Windows Phone apps ( NeoWin 2013-03-19 )

It tells you how bad the situation is when they have to pay developers to entice them into putting time and effort on Metro apps.

It's looking increasingly likely (though, of course, not yet a certainty) that:

Nothing can save Windows 8 now

Quote

If you thought Microsoft was in trouble before, matters are much worse. If you didn't think the company had problems, you should look again. Windows 8 is in deep do-do as the world goes mobile and Steve Ballmer and Company have got nothing to offer. Windows Phone 8 has little to no market share, which, by the way, isn't growing in the emerging markets (China among them) where smartphone shipments soar.

Quote

Windows 8 was supposed to save the PC market. But roles are reversed. With about 80 percent of operating system revenue coming from personal computer sales, Microsoft's options are limited. Short of divine intervention, nothing can save Windows 8 now.

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

G8YMW, on 20 March 2013 - 04:30 PM, said:

I see on the "4 months in, Windows8 needs help" thread, I see there is talk of Microsoft dropping prices of Win8 to help PC sales.
I think a lemon tastes bitter no matter what the price.
Or should I say the damage has already been done?

That's a great point!

I guess that they could try paying people to use Win8, like they're now offering to pay developers -- but like you said, the lemon would still taste just as bitter.

The only hope (which I don't yet see any hints of happening) is that they'll improve the taste of the lemon by bringing back the Start Menu/Button and booting to the Desktop by default. Although there are SO MANY problems with the new UI (no Aero Glass, crude squared-off window corners, flat buttons, hard-to-see scrollbars, etc. etc.) that these measures alone may not be enough.

--JorgeA

This post has been edited by JorgeA: 20 March 2013 - 04:52 PM

[JorgeA]

JorgeA, on 15 March 2013 - 09:45 AM, said:

Tripredacus, on 15 March 2013 - 08:22 AM, said:

is this really a translation issue? Maybe it really refers to Windows Azure?
http://en.wikipedia....rvices_Platform

It could be (I hope so). Machine translation is literal and unreliable, and then there is the bit about azure, which as we know is a kind of blue. Plus, I haven't seen anything to confirm or deny this report elsewhere in the (English-language) press.

Maybe a Russian speaker could go to the original website and give us a human take on what it says.

--JorgeA

OK, now I can confirm after consultation with a Russian speaker, that the article does refer to Windows Blue and not Azure. The Google translation, while awkward and poorly written, gets the message right.

After reading the article, the Russian consultant's reaction was -- "So, if there is no Desktop, what is computer for?!"

--JorgeA

P.S. We still need confirmation of this report about Windows Blue from other sources.

This post has been edited by JorgeA: 20 March 2013 - 05:02 PM

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

At first glance these may seem off-topic but as Microsoft unifies everything, whatever they do elsewhere will come back around to Windows and bite us all in the butt eventually. Nothing that Nu-Microsoft does is really off-topic these days.


Report: U.S. government looking into Microsoft for foreign bribery ( NeoWin 2013-03-19 )

Microsoft reportedly facing SEC and DOJ investigation over foreign bribery claims ( The Verge 2013-03-19 )

Microsoft, Partners Investigated for Bribery in International Markets ( Thurrott 2013-03-20 )

NeoWin article said:

The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, says that the DOJ and SEC are looking into claims that Microsoft's China subsidiary offered some kind of kickbacks to government officials in that country in exchange for signing contracts for software. An anonymous tipster alerted the U.S. government to the claims in 2012, according to the report. The same article claims that Microsoft conducted its own investigation, handled by an outside party, on these same allegations in 2010 but had found no wrongdoing in the matter.

The report claims that the government is looking into similar allegations in Romania and in Italy. In the latter case, there are claims Microsoft used a consultant that allegedly gave Italian procurement officials things such as trips and other gifts in exchange for signing on government contracts.

Serious allegations just hitting the news in the past two days. I think we can safely assume that the inexplicable, unseemly, and ill-advised Scroogle campaign is yielding unintended consequences.



How Microsoft lets the Chinese government spy on its citizens via Skype ( NeoWin 2013-03-08 )

Microsoft enables China to spy on Skype users via keyword triggers ( TechSpot 2013-03-08 )

TechSpot article said:

University of New Mexico student Jeffrey Knockel claims to have revealed an encrypted list of 1,100+ keywords within China's Skype client, TOM-Skype. This list, containing words like "BBC" and phrases like "Democratic Unionist Party", are suspected to be used for monitoring TOM-Skype users.

When a TOM-Skype user sends chat messages containing "suspicious" language found within the program's periodically updated keyword list, Knockel's research indicates an alert is sent to TOM-Skype's servers containing the sender's account name, message timestamp and detected word(s).

This Microsoft betrayal of the people, their customers, is pretty similar to the "arrangement" that Google has with the Chinese government. Extremely distasteful in both cases, but I gotta say that Microsoft's is particularly unsettling. Just read up on what information gets supplied to the regime and then tell me that you would ever use Skype for anything.

[JorgeA]

CharlotteTheHarlot, on 20 March 2013 - 06:13 PM, said:

How Microsoft lets the Chinese government spy on its citizens via Skype ( NeoWin 2013-03-08 )

Microsoft enables China to spy on Skype users via keyword triggers ( TechSpot 2013-03-08 )

TechSpot article said:

University of New Mexico student Jeffrey Knockel claims to have revealed an encrypted list of 1,100+ keywords within China's Skype client, TOM-Skype. This list, containing words like "BBC" and phrases like "Democratic Unionist Party", are suspected to be used for monitoring TOM-Skype users.

When a TOM-Skype user sends chat messages containing "suspicious" language found within the program's periodically updated keyword list, Knockel's research indicates an alert is sent to TOM-Skype's servers containing the sender's account name, message timestamp and detected word(s).

This Microsoft betrayal of the people, their customers, is pretty similar to the "arrangement" that Google has with the Chinese government. Extremely distasteful in both cases, but I gotta say that Microsoft's is particularly unsettling. Just read up on what information gets supplied to the regime and then tell me that you would ever use Skype for anything.

This is very disturbing. And that sort of thing isn't just happening "over there" -- as we've pointed out before, MSFT is helping NYC to create an integrated network of video surveillance cameras.

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

Word is getting out:

Quote

According to Nomura Equity Research‘s Rick Sherlund, Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system is failing to make an impact in the tablet market thanks to its 'awkwardness.'

--JorgeA

[jaclaz]

I guess that only people with a background knowledge of Italian/Latin based languages will appreciate this :
http://www.giornalet...urdo-del-mondo/
http://www.webnews.i...-nome-equivoco/

The few that can, will!


The risk of customers using the app name for the device in a synecdoche:
http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Synecdoche
is IMHO a BIG risk for the good Redmond guys.

However, the app was quickly renamed:
http://surfacesoft.com/tag/inkulator/

jaclaz

This post has been edited by jaclaz: 21 March 2013 - 05:00 AM