Yeah, about Windows 10 Privacy, 7 is likely my last windows OS :-(

I haven't talked about it yet, but Microsoft considers Windows 10 a "service", meaning theirs, not yours, and they can monitor anything they want.

As a result, people are panicking and accusing them of all kinds of things like reading your emails which they apparently don't do, according to their blog or TechNet - either in consumer or  enterprise versions.

According to techdirt though, and Ars Technica they don't address other things, like Cortana (Microsoft Siri), remain on and collecting data, and aren't disabled when a user or admin disables telemetry.

As a result, I, and other people a lot more Microsoft-centric than me are moving toward Linux.

:-(

Thanks techdirt!

Why Yes, legislators in other countries (especially the EU) are idiots too

Updated:  German publishers lost similar cases in 2014 and again in 2015 and are trying again. Basically VG media wants the German government to both require payments from Google for all traffic they send, and to send the traffic too.  Good luck with that!

Like Spain, where in Dec 2014 they passed a law requiring all search engines to pay newspapers for snippets and links, whether the newspapers wanted them to or not.    Google on December 11 2014 responded with:

"it’s with real sadness that on 16 December (before the new law comes into effect in January) we’ll remove Spanish publishers from Google News, and close Google News in Spain."

Techdirt called it the "Nuclear Option", although the rest of us can call it "Duh".  What were they thinking?

Update after reading (more of)  the Forbes article: Well.  My mistake. 6 months later, Google News ES is still closed.  Huh.  I guess they don't have a problem with that.

Forbes writes on Dec 15th: "That Was Fast; Spain Already In Full Retreat Over Google Tax"

Hopefully the message wasn't lost on Germany, pushing for the same thing again in July 2015

Oh well, here goes Spain again, going full police state on everyone,  banning demonstrations and taking pictures of police.

That's almost as stupid as banning outdoor photography. More at I'm a Photographer not a Terrorist

Perry

PS. Oh and patch your systems too

Chris Christie shows abuse of ez-pass and metadata in a single speech

And what type of human being he is, effectively making it impossible for him to be president.

(I honestly don't know if I'd pick him or Obama, but Obama can't run again)

Techdirt, as usual has a great article

So here's the lead up, from Bill Baroni -

"Respectfully, Senator, you only started paying tolls recently," [Port Authority Deputy Chief Bill] Baroni said, according to a transcript of the exchange. "In fact, I have a copy of your free E-ZPass," he continued, holding up a physical copy of the toll pass Lautenberg had received as a benefit from his tenure as a Port Authority commissioner. "You took 284 trips for free in the last 2 years you had a pass."

Chris Christie abusing E-ZPass and quotes him, saying about a rival:

At a press conference, he alleged that the senator didn't "pay for parking at Port Authority facilities" and said Lautenberg went "through the tunnel to New York three or four times a week in 2005 and 2006."

I find it interesting, too, by the way, in 2005 and 2006, that he went over the Hudson River 284 times. Where was he going?... I think he needs to answer that. 'Cause he's supposed to be the senator from New Jersey. So what's he doing going over the bridge or through the tunnel to New York three or four times a week for 2005 and 2006?... Did he ever spend any time in New Jersey?

Did you think:

1.  E-ZPass data was confidential?  Nope
2. That the government reading E-ZPass  data needed a warrant?  Nope
3. That Metadata was harmless?  Nope
4. That Government thinks Metadata can't be abused? Nope
5. That Chris Christie is above anything slimy or scummy? Data is still out

Oh they do have a link to the pdf of NJ committee meeting that includes testimony about bridgegate and some details about traffic readers in the Fort Lee area, and I think how many E-ZPass details they get.