Windows 10 will finally drop in 'summer' says Microsoft

Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 will launch in "summer" this year. The news emerged from an event in China, so it seems safe to assume Redmond means the northern hemisphere's summer between June and August. Executive veep for Windows Terry Myerson says Windows 10 "will launch in 190 countries and 111 languages". We' …

[Robert Helpmann??]

Hello? Who are you?

From the linked MS twaddle: I’d like to introduce you to Windows Hello – biometric authentication which can provide instant access to your Windows 10 devices. With Windows Hello, you’ll be able to just show your face, or touch your finger, to new devices running Windows 10 and be immediately recognized. And not only is Windows Hello more convenient than typing a password—it’s more secure!

Your face and other biometric measurements should replace your UID, not your password. Your face should intuitively be recognized as a representation of who you are, which should not be enough to gain access to any system. It is not more secure than a password, but it is tons more convenient... right up until that time you get punched in the face and have your fingers stomped on for putting out such a load of BS. I didn't see anywhere that there was a backup method for authentication. It looks as though once you are out, you are out, at least until you can regrow the missing parts just like the originals.

[Czrly]

Re: Hello? Who are you?

I am a security stalwart and fully acknowledge that biometric authentication is flawed in many ways but I still want it and I will definitely use it for many things.

Fundamentally, your windows log-on and your phone's lock screen are not security features. They're there to deter your colleagues from hijacking your PC while you're making tea and to make it difficult for the people sharing your pub table to read your girl-friends messages on your phone. They're trivially easy to bypass. Similarly, I don't care too much about 99% of my online accounts - only email and banking matter. For all the non-critical scenarios, being relieved of the need to type passwords (particularly on mobiles) will be a huge benefit.

I don't even have a lock screen on my phone because it's in a cover that prevents "arse-calling" and I consider the hassle of the pin-pad to be more significant than the security it would provide.,

[Calleb III]

Re: Hello? Who are you?

" I didn't see anywhere that there was a backup method for authentication. It looks as though once you are out, you are out, at least until you can regrow the missing parts just like the originals."

Juts because the article focuses on the new feature and doesn't mention the ability to use passwords as an alternative authentication doesn't mean it's not there. If it integrates with AD, Azure or otherwise it will have to allow for passwords.

As for the second part, how is it any different from forgetting your password today?

[Elmer Phud]

Passwords?

I'd prefer to stick with a password -- and give the others the finger.

[Dan 55]

So if I don't use Azure then I can't have a biometric login either?

Sounds good to me. Where do I not sign up?

[nematoad]

Re: So if I don't use Azure then I can't have a biometric login either?

Agreed, this is AKA as "Lock-in" I foresee that if you want to use one of MS's services sooner or later you will have to use this system. And it will be deliberately incompatible to any other similar systems out there. OOXML anyone?

'We’re really excited about taking another step with Windows 10 to make computing more personal, and more secure, with Windows Hello and “Passport”.'

I bet they are, you just can't get away from these characters can you?

[Anonymous Coward]

Band?

What's that then? Never heard of it until now. Did I miss something?

[Lyndon Hills 1]

Re: Band?

A wrist worn device that incorporates a heart monitor, gps and uses blue tooth to sync with your phone. It may also have some phone functions, but I think the emphasis is on tracking you doing a daily run while measuring your heart rate. It doesn't try to look like a watch - hence the name Band, I guess.

[Phil Kingston]

Re: Band?

Band is a tech showcase for the background health analytics MS want to push. It's a beta product really. The idea was that they'll happily licence the tech to other manufacturers. Problem is that no one else has taken them up on their offer. And that MS have a surprise hit on their hands and can't make them quick enough to keep even their own stores stocked.

I'll wait for gen 2.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Band?

Wow. Thumbs down for asking a question. :-(

[Anonymous Coward]

Summer has a special meaning in the NorthWest

Anyone who has been in Redmond knows summer runs from about the third week in July until about mid-August.

In a good year...

[D@v3]

Re: Summer has a special meaning in the NorthWest

Sounds like summer in the parts of the UK (where you're lucky) in other parts it is 'that nice couple of days that are grouped together and fall sometime between the middle of may and the end of august'

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Summer has a special meaning in the NorthWest

Summer has a different meaning in Australia - maybe that's what they mean

[Dr Scrum Master]

Re: Summer has a special meaning in the NorthWest

>Summer has a different meaning in Australia - maybe that's what they mean

Summer? The closest some of us get to seasons are the prevailing monsoons or the amount of haze from neighbouring countries.

[dogged]

you missed the real story

That being, the upgrade from Win7 is free regardless if whether the Win7 install is legit or pirated.

That's news. That means a billion or so Universal App customers.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: you missed the real story

That would be the case if the upgrade was forced upon them.

[Dan 55]

Re: you missed the real story

I can imagine that decision turning round to bite you a year or so later when Azure Genuine Advantage starts popping up notifications saying that your MS account and cloudy stuff will be disabled unless you sort out your Windows licence.

[Sorry that handle is already taken.]

At first I was outraged...

...at having to wait six months longer, up here in the southern hemisphere.

But I'm happy with Win7 so wotevz.

[Anonymous Coward]

I remember when new Windows announcements used to excite us. Then we began dreading them. Now nobody even cares.

That's why there's so many changes in the ETA. At first it's "It wont be ready for ages", now it's "just a few months!" - either their ability to estimate time-scales is poor, or they're trying to drum up excitement by first making us wait, then impressing us by "speeding it up".

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't know about that.

I'm kind of looking forward to it. I've quite liked the tech preview and so long as my irritations are ironed out, it might be the first MS OS I've bought an early release of in many, many years.

Last time was Windows Me and that was absolut-- oh.

[D@v3]

they are just using the same time estimation algorithm that they use for file transfers

[Captain DaFt]

"That's why there's so many changes in the ETA. At first it's "It wont be ready for ages", now it's "just a few months!" - either their ability to estimate time-scales is poor,"

Actually, they put this guy in charge of Marketing ETA.

[Anonymous Coward]

OS as a Permanent Human Leash

So, the New SpamWareSpyWare OS is almost upon us...

I especially do not welcome our new Tech Overloards....

The Tech Preview Runs like a Dream though, and there is a lot to like but there's much hiding

behind all those stacks....

The day is coming when some people will realize that they've tricked us back into logging on to

terminal servers with zero privacy, but we call it the Cloud now and the Terminals "easy access Face recognition HoloLenses whatever the shmuck"....

This Generation has traded-in Ownership and Privacy for Convenience, let's see how this pans out as I move my setup to Iceland....thirty years in, from Technologist to budding Luddite...ah life....

[AJ MacLeod]

Death to passwords? Don't think so.

The biometric stuff is all very sci-fi and clever sounding... but what happens when Windows breaks and Joe Public has to take his PC to one of us to get it fixed? "I should have it ready for you tomorrow afternoon but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave several body parts with me in the meantime so I can get logged in."

[cambsukguy]

Re: Death to passwords? Don't think so.

Make sure to tell them quickly, they will not have thought of that.

[AJ MacLeod]

Re: Death to passwords? Don't think so.

I'm sure they've thought of that as well. I'm also sure that any alternative authentication route they come up with will be practically unworkable in real life scenarios and most likely involve yet another Microsoft Account for Joe Public to set up once and then lose all the relevant details for.

[Anonymous Coward]

Question

How clever is the face recognition? Apart from the 'my twin send that offensive e-mail, not me' scenario, how easy would it be to fool the camera with a photo? It's not an iris scanner, it doesn't measure heartbeat, (or does it). So a photo (even on a screen) that you hold up to the camera may be good enough.

I'd like to think it wouldn't work - but....well, I'm a sceptic - what can I say

[Anonymous Coward]

Hello will work alongside “Passport”

to link with gov databases in the cloud. Purely by mistake. Pardon me, "oversight".

[johnwerneken]

Sweet Gates, Save me!

A ay for every human and non-human pest on Earth to hound me 24 x 7 x 365, on my %^%%$& own WRIST? Forget it!