Windows 7 mainstream support ends today

smeezekitty · 01-14-2015, 01:16 PM

Microsoft ended mainstream support for W7 today!
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/lifecycle

Of course it still gets security fixes until 2020
but not new features etc.

W8 obviously sucks. W10 looks a little better
but it still isn't up to par. And the key logger
is alarming to say the least.

Hopefully Linux gets more support and users soon.

dugan · 01-14-2015, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smeezekitty

And the key logger is alarming to say the least.

The WHAT?

(I haven't been following Windows 10 news).

smeezekitty · 01-14-2015, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugan

The WHAT?

(I haven't been following Windows 10 news).

The technical preview contains a keylogger that sends everything to MS

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...vacy-statement

Quote:

Microsoft collects many kinds of information in a variety of ways in order to operate effectively and provide you the best products, services and experiences we can. We may combine this data with information that is linked to your user ID, such as information contained in your Microsoft account.

When you acquire, install and use the Program, Microsoft collects information about you, your devices, applications and networks, and your use of those devices, applications and networks. Examples of data we collect include your name, email address, preferences and interests; browsing, search and file history; phone call and SMS data; device configuration and sensor data; and application usage. For example, when you:

Quote:

use voice input features like speech-to-text, we may collect voice information and use it for purposes such as improving speech processing,

Quote:

enter text, we may collect typed characters and use them for purposes such as improving autocomplete and spellcheck features.

sundialsvcs · 01-14-2015, 01:43 PM

Oh, it's been all over the geek-press a few months ago, e.g. http://thehackernews.com/2014/10/dow...keylogger.html

Microsoft buried several key tidbits in their EULA:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Brother:

“If you open a file, we may collect information about the file, the application used to open the file, and how long it takes any use [of] it for purposes such as improving performance, or [if you] enter text, we may collect typed characters, we may collect typed characters and use them for purposes such as improving autocomplete and spell check features,”

and:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Brother:

"When you acquire, install and use the Program, Microsoft collects information about you, your devices, applications and networks, and your use of those devices, applications and networks," the privacy policy states. "Examples of data we collect include your name, email address, preferences and interests; browsing, search and file history; phone call and SMS data; device configuration and sensor data; and application usage."

(And I'll leave it up to you to speculate how they obtain "phone call and SMS data." Or, "preferences and interests."

Today, we are still living in the "happy time" when no one bothered to look at the dark side of the internet-data coin. For all the billions of dollars spent on "a war on terror" that was firmly grounded in multi-million dollar campaign contributions and multi-billion dollar defense contracts grounded in conventional military thinking, no one bothered to seriously think "outside the box."

For example ... (speculating now) ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Future Headline?:

Somehow, apparently no one ever stopped to consider that, scattered among the more than 120,000 immigrant visa holders that the company (fights to ...) bring onto its payroll, many of whom come from the middle-east, ISIS-planted terrorists might be among their number, bringing home multi-gigabyte USB sticks crammed full of the most confidential data about hundreds of millions of US citizens ... which Microsoft Corporation's software has been collecting "for marketing purposes." When the explosions started happening and it became clear that the perpetrators had to know "most-intimate details about every aspect of private-citizen's private lives," corporations like Microsoft were forced to admit that they had no idea how long this had been going on, nor how much data had been acquired, nor what to do about it. The vulnerability is anything but over. "It could happen again, to anyone, at any time, because the data is still out there and it still describes hundreds of millions of people's innermost daily lives."

The most-recent government budget bill, passed after a brief but painful shutdown, included legislation granting carte-blanche immunity to all such corporations, who are well-known to be generous campaign contributors. The Supreme Court declined to hear challenges to the law, thereby affirming its new legal status."

Unfortunately for all of us, that "little speculation" (which has nothing to do with this-or-that political party) is very-uncomfortably close to the truth. "Vulnerabilities are everywhere," not the least of which are firmly imbedded in our "we gotta have more visas" and "anywhere that's cheap(er) will do nicely" mentalities. Our present notions about how to "stop and avoid terrorism" might well prove to be just as antiquated and ineffectual as the Maginot Line.

The French looked at War and still saw horses and infantry. The Germans saw trucks.

syg00 · 01-14-2015, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smeezekitty

The technical preview contains a keylogger that sends everything to MS

Yeah, I didn't like that bit, so installed the preview on a freshly scrubbed (old) laptop. It has no connection to the LAN, and only goes online when I feel like an update. Stays turned off most of the time.

In this business you need to stay abreast of what's happening, but you don't need to be violated.

jefro · 01-14-2015, 09:47 PM

Darn near as bad as Android.

linux_walt · 01-16-2015, 10:46 AM

syg00 Maybe when you are off line the information is just being saved, then sent when you connect for an update? If there are times you can't trust the OS, then it might be best not to trust it at all.

smeezekitty · 01-16-2015, 01:15 PM

I strongly suggest not entering anything you are worried about getting collected in W10