Builds aplenty, taking calls from the pub with Teams, and Edgy leaks: It's the week at Microsoft

In a week where macOS users got their first taste of Microsoft's Defender and certain vendors received a kick in the virtuals from Azure's cloudy desktop, the gang at Redmond kept on a-building and a-leaking. When 'Release' and 'Candidate' are the hardest words Microsoft demonstrated the impending 19H1 version of Windows 10 is …

[Charlie Clark]

Irony

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has proclaimed "Privacy is a Human Right"

Obviously he hasn't seen any of Windows 10 telemetry logs then!

It seems to have become fashionable for tech companies to declaim their commitment to privacy. Someone should tell them that actions speak louder than words.

[Anonymous Coward]

"Obviously he hasn't seen any of Windows 10 telemetry logs then!"

Actually, he's the one who approved the Windows 10 "telemetry" - if not the one who wanted it (which I believe he is). He does love Google very much - why adopt Chrome engine, after all?

Just after the whole Facebook debacle, all of them now need a "privacy" paint over.

I can't wait for the first GDPR full investigation against Windows 10 data slurping...

[TheVogon]

Re: "Obviously he hasn't seen any of Windows 10 telemetry logs then!"

"can't wait for the first GDPR full investigation against Windows 10 data slurping..."

In what specific way do you think that Windows 10 infringes the GDPR? I'm not aware of any complaints so far from the usual activists that have already shopped Google and others.

[Anonymous Coward]

"In what specific way do you think that Windows 10 infringes the GDPR?"

No way to opt out of it while it does access personal information? The fact it can lift sensitive data? The ability to lift your files, for example, without asking you? Or the memory contents when the system crashes?

For example, for movies: URL for a specific two-second chunk of content if there is an error - they will know what movies you're watching - which can give away sensitive information (sexual, political, etc. preferences, health info)

For book: content type and size details - they'll know what you're reading.

"Pseudonymized" Browsing History data. Text typed in Address bar and Search box URLs (may include search terms) and page title - all of them can give away sensitive information.

Windows 10 is a privacy ticking bomb.

[TheVogon]

Re: "In what specific way do you think that Windows 10 infringes the GDPR?"

Windows 10 forces you to choose if you want to opt in to anything classed as personal data under GDPR during install / first run. That includes detailed application crash dumps and potentially virus infected files. You have to decide to approve that - it's not the default.

And again for the browser, it depends entirely if retained information is personally identifiable as to if it comes under the GDPR, and to store that information, informed consent is required.

You can see a summary of that here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/privacy/gdpr-it-guidance

Whatever you might not like about Windows 10 privacy, it seems to comply with the GDPR as far as I can see.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: "In what specific way do you think that Windows 10 infringes the GDPR?"

Clearly Edge was not good enough at collecting customer personal data, because Microsoft are now switching to Google Slurpmium.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Irony

Given that Microsoft was apparently involved in the Cloud Act 2018 ("apparently" because I have as yet not find where on earth I saw that or I would have linked it), I find their "focus on privacy" almost impossible to believe.

Not that I am actually surprised by statements by Microsoft that ver between questionable to outright lies, it appears their spokespeople and management are of the same genetic stock as Trump.

They just don't bankrupt themselves that often.

[vtcodger]

Re: Irony

Hey. He just said that privacy is a human right. He didn't assert that Microsoft put human rights ahead of profits. ... Or indeed that Microsoft cared one whit about human rights.

[the Jim bloke]

Re: Irony

"Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has proclaimed "Privacy is a Human Right"

He just doesnt count users as humans, and thus not entitled to the privileges of REAL people.You know, the ones who own corporations...

[Giovani Tapini]

I still dont undertand...

how such basic things can be broken, this time the installer.

Not new, or niche capabilities, or failure to cope with some new motherboard tech... No, the installer is not an issue.

Come on MS, if I cant trust the installation process release to release, how can I rely on the many deployed features once deployed.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I still dont undertand...

I quit as a tester some time back when Microsoft changed the installer between the final sign off and unleashing on the unsuspecting public. Sooo, I'm not surprise in the least by this.

[Steve K]

But still no cake.

<Cortana>The cake is a lie.....</Cortana>

[Alistair]

Re: But still no cake.

@Steve K

<HAL> I'm sorry Cortana, The cake is in the pod bay</HAL>

[hplasm]

Re: But still no cake.

<HAL> I'm sorry Cortana, The cake is in the pod bay</HAL>

<Siri.> Is that a euphemism?</Siri>

[Andrew 99]

Teams on linux

No teams desktop on Linux, though. :(

[Dan 55]

Re: Teams on linux

For which you can be thankful.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Teams on linux

"No teams desktop on Linux, though. :("

No need - we now just run Linux under Windows 10 - makes life so much simpler and we no longer need a couple of support resources to mange Linux desktops. And Teams works in a browser on Linux if you really want to be a sadomasochist.

[Dan 55]

Re: Teams on linux

I think it would be better to keep Windows 10 in a VM on Linux, that way you can keep snapshots one hand in case one decides to suddenly update and take your work with it...

[Kevin McMurtrie]

Team player

Teams must be an MS licensing trick. It's brutally unrefined yet gaining popularity.

[Dan 55]

Re: Team player

It's "free" with Office 365.

[Anonymous Coward]

Is Teams a crap version of Slack which is a crap version of talking?

[TheVogon]

"Is Teams a crap version of Slack which is a crap version of talking?"

It's like a better version of Slack with way more features on top and a full UC solution, but with the ugliest interface ever known to man in front of it.