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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 16 Issue 40
Volume 16, Issue 40 Atari Online News, Etc. October 3, 2014
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2014
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Rob Mahlert, Associate Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- "CC: Classic Chips"
Rob Mahlert -- Web site
Thomas J. Andrews -- "Keeper of the Flame"
With Contributions by:
Fred Horvat
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #1640 10/03/14
~ Encryption Showdown! ~ People Are Talking! ~ The Last Guardian!
~ Windows 10, New & Old! ~ Facebook Real Name Flap! ~ DayZ for Xbox One!
~ Facebook To Get Strict ~ First Born for Free WiFi ~ Destiny Loot Patch!
-* Video Game History Museum! *-
-* Net Neutrality Questions and Answers *-
-* Apple Patches Bash Vulnerability on Macs! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Sorry 'bout last week, but everything was very hectic around here, and I
just couldn't get the issue out in a timely fashion. Family issues that
required some traveling, all turning out for naught, took it's toll on
me. But, we finally managed to get the mag out.
So, to do my part to make suer we're out this week at a more manageable
time, I'll keep my mouth shut [after this]!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - DayZ For Xbox One Looks Likely!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" "Destiny" Patch Tweaks Loot Drops!
Sony Working On The Last Guardian!
And more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
DayZ For Xbox One Looks Likely as Dev Denies PS4 Exclusivity
The PlayStation 4 is the only currently confirmed console platform for
Dean Hall's open-world zombie game, DayZ, but it may not stay that way
forever. Asked by Eurogamer if the game is coming to Xbox One, Hall said
he's sure the game won't be exclusive to PS4 for its console release.
"DayZ is definitely going to be a multiplatform title," he said. "That's
the firm vision from Bohemia's standpoint. But we'll announce what all
the other platforms are as we get to that point."
The console version of DayZ was announced during Sony's Gamescom briefing
in August. At the time, Hall was quick to say that just because the game
was announced on Sony's stage, it doesn't necessarily mean the game is
exclusive to PlayStation.
An Xbox One version of DayZ wouldn't come as much of a surprise. After
all, Hall revealed earlier this year that he had met with Microsoft and
"extensively" discussed a possible Xbox version of DayZ. However, it
remains to be seen if DayZ will be a timed-exclusive for PS4, or if Hall
only agreed to announce the game at Sony's briefing.
DayZ is currently available on PC. The version of the game you can buy
through Steam (Early Access), or via Bohemia's website, is a
work-in-progress, and does not represent the final version of the game.
Though Sony (and Microsoft) have discussed the possibility of allowing
in-development games on their respective platforms, neither company has
yet to announce support for Early Access-style games.
"There's a lot of problems with Early Access on PC that definitely are at
the forefront of people's minds," Hall said. "So when DayZ will release
would depend very much on what Sony offers in terms of if it was going to
do an Early Access program, what it looks like. Then also the state of
DayZ - does it make sense to do it through that?"
Hall went on to say that if platform-holders like Sony and Microsoft
don't announce Early Access-style programs soon, gamers might need to
wait until 2016 or later to play DayZ on consoles.
"A straight up retail release? It's not going to be next year, because
there's just too much work remaining," he said. "It would be a very
bizarre universe where there would be a 1.0 release of DayZ on consoles
before PC."
Also in the interview, Hall said the DayZ console version needs to have
fundamental changes compared to the PC Version. "I think there will have
to be," he said. "But the aim will be to play on the strengths of those
consoles."
Though DayZ may not be on the Xbox One's immediate horizon, another
zombie game - State of Decay - is coming to the console in 2015.
'Destiny' Patch 1.0.2 Tweaks Legendary Loot Drops
Destiny is a game built on grinding for loot. Nowhere is this more
apparent then in post-level-20 gameplay.
Leveling after level 20 requires you to get better and better gear to
boost your Light. Better and better gear is found by playing missions,
purchasing it from vendors, or finding a loot cave.
But even with all of these options to score loot, the chances youll
actually get a Legendary or Exotic item have been slim, to say the least.
Finding the hardest-to-come-by purple Engram (a coded item that needs
to be unlocked by an NPC called the Cryptarch) is an exciting thinguntil
you decode it and get a blue Rare item instead (or an item that belongs
to a different class.)
In Bungies newest patch, which is live today, the developer is at least
fixing the problem with purple Engrams.
From here on out purple engrams will always produce a Legendary or better
item. That alone is terrific news.
For reasons not explained by Bungie, any purple engrams you have in your
inventory now will turn blue but will still produce Legendary or better
gear.
Bungie is making a few other changes in patch 1.0.2. Ascendant Shards
and Ascendant Energy will now be considered Legendary. Rare and Legendary
engram drops are also being added to the Vanguard: Tiger Strike playlist
as well as first-time per-day playthroughs of daily Heroic Missions and
first-time per week weekly Heroic Missions.
Finally, the patch shortens the time limit in Bastion and First Light
maps in Control and Clash mode from 15 to 12 minutes. The two maps have
also been reduced in the map rotation. Now all Bungie needs to do is
patch in match-making and leaderboard functionality and the Crucible
might stand a chance at becoming a really popular PvP mode.
All of these changes, and especially the changes to purple engrams, are
steering the game on the right track. But I still find it lacking in
compelling end-game content which, to be honest, is a shame after the
less-than-compelling campaign.
That being said, I realize also that Im not the biggest fan of this
particular genre. I enjoy some Diablo III from time to time. I like to
find fat loot and fight off mobs of baddies. I enjoy the occasional romp
in Borderlands 2 and other grind-for-gear games. But I know other people
who really live for this kind of game, and from what theyve told me,
Destiny definitely scratches that itch.
Furthermore, if Bungie approaches fixes to Destiny the same way Blizzard
tackled Diablo III, the game might be an entirely different and more
satisfying beast in a years time.
For my part, Ill be busy playing the newly-released Middle-Earth:
Shadows of Mordor (read my first impressions here) and the
always-gripping Dark Souls II and its excellent three-part DLC trilogy.
But Im sure Ill dip back into Destiny soon enough; after all, The Dark
Below expansion is landing in December.
With this patch, we address some widely-discussed concerns with how
Engrams are earned and claimed. Strikes have become more rewarding, and
the rewards gained from them are more predictable. Also affected is the
rotation of maps that appear in the Crucible.
Cryptarch
Legendary (purple) engrams will always produce a Legendary quality item
or higher
Note: Legendary engrams that exist in your inventory will change to Rare
quality items when the patch is applied. However, decoding these engrams
will still produce the same results as before
Rare (blue) engrams will always produce a Rare quality item or higher
Chance for Legendary gear increased
Materials: Ascendant Shards and Ascendant Energy promoted to Legendary
quality (from Rare quality)
Rewards
Rare (Blue) and Legendary (Purple) Engram drops added to the potential
rewards for:
Vanguard: Tiger Strike Playlist
Daily Heroic Missions (first time per day)
Weekly Heroic Missions (first time per week)
Known issues
When selecting a higher difficulty for daily missions, XP Bonus not show
in the reward display
You will still get the XP bonus, you just won't see it in the UI
Crucible
Reduced time limit on Bastion and First Light in Control and Clash from
15 to 12 minutes, bringing them in line with non-vehicle maps in those
playlists
Lowered weighting on Bastion and First Light in Control and Clash so they
appear less often in those playlists
Sony Working "Diligently" On The Last Guardian
We didn't see it at E3, Comic-Con, Gamescom, or the Tokyo Game Show this
year, so what is the status of long-in-development PlayStation game The
Last Guardian? That's tough to nail down, but we do know at least that
it hasn't been abandoned.
PlayStation Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida says in the latest
issue of Weekly Famitsu (translated by Kotaku) that "we continue to work
diligently on the game, so please look forward to it."
Before giving this quote, Yoshida said "development couldn't be better,"
though he quickly followed this up by saying that in fact "that might be
a bit of an exaggeration (laughs)".
In August, Sony said The Last Guardian - in development at Shadow of the
Colossus developer Team Ico - was making "great progress." At the time,
the publisher even teased that it has a specific time-frame in mind to
re-reveal the game, though that's being kept under wraps for now.
The game was announced back in 2009, when it was a PlayStation 3 title.
It is unclear, however, if this continues to be the case.
Also in the interview, Yoshida responded to the interviewer's question
about what it means for PS4 that many of the system's high-profile
upcoming games are multiplatform titles. Yoshida said this isn't too big
an issue, so long as Sony can demonstrate why buying the PS4 version of
a multiplatform title is the best idea.
"I think it's fine to start from there," Yoshida said. "If the number of
PS4 users increases from there and they tell their friends, 'the games
look prettier on the PS4,' or 'the loading time's faster,' or 'using
the Share function is fun' then the sales for PS4 versions of games
will increase and game creators may think 'let's focus on developing
for the PS4 from here.'"
In the case of Bungie's shooter Destiny, Sony said it was treating that
game like a first-party title through advertising campaigns and
exclusive DLC for the PS3 and PS4 versions.
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
From Atari to Playstation 4, The Video Game History Museum Will Have It
The Atari 2600 was a video game console that was released in 1977.
Mario, Zelda, and Master Chief have finally found common ground - in
Texas. The Video Game History Museum has taken its operation to the next
level with a permanent home in Frisco.
Joe Santulli is one of the founders of the Video Game History Museum, and
he talked about their plans for the space.
Interview Highlights: Joe Santulli
On the decision to bring the museum to Frisco:
"Our initial thoughts were, lets put the museum as close to the computer
history museum as possible -- and silicon valley being pretty much where
the video game industry was born so we wanted to put it right there. As
we looked around, we realized its not always that important that its
right there where it was born. We really want to be in a place where
were most appreciated and most seen."
On hosting future gaming tournaments at the museum:
"I can't stress enough how important that is to us. Those arcades that
are gone now were really the social centers at the time, and we want to
try so hard to bring them back."
On his first experience playing a video game:
"My cousins
had one of the first Pong systems Id ever seen. It was on a
black-and-white TV and it was just a really simple Pong back-and-forth
type of game, and I just remember being so mesmerized by that
Of course,
my parents wouldnt let me have my own Pong because they saw what
happened to my cousins television set. Those fixed images, those lines
going constantly back-and-forth in the same place, eventually left a
burned image of Pong into their TV."
On the next step for the Video Game History Museum:
"We really want this place to be where you can get your fix of gaming,
but at the same time, learn about the history, be able to participate in
lectures and study groups. Wed love to have classrooms come in and show
them how a game is designed. We want to be able to have archival
facilities and libraries so if you walked in and asked, show me a
blueprint of an Intellivision controller, I want to see how one is
built, we should have all that stuff on file. Or, I want to see the
strategy guide for Punisher on Sega Genesis, we pretty much want to
incorporate anything gaming just an all-around archive dedicated to
the history."
The Video Game History Museum is set to open in May 2015 at the Texas
Discovery Center in Frisco.
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
U.S. Government, Silicon Valley Head for a Showdown Over Encryption
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holders comments this week about the data
encryption indicate the government is not going to let this issue go.
Holder said Tuesday that it is fully possible to permit law enforcement
to do its job while still adequately protecting personal privacy, as
Reuters reported.
At issue is the new data encryption on Apple iPhones and upcoming
Googles Android smartphones.
As Julia Love and Robert Salonga wrote in the Mercury News, Apple has
encrypted data on its new iOS 8 software, locking itself out of having
access to user data and thus making it impossible for the company to
respond to government warrants seeking the data.
Law enforcement officials have expressed concerns. Last week, James
Comey, the FBI director, said the FBI was talking to the companies to
understand the technology and that he worried about the tech firms
marketing something expressly to allow people to place themselves beyond
the law.
Law enforcements warrants may have access to data that is backed up on
cloud-based services but the issue is the data that lives on phones.
It is unclear what the government will do next. Beyond lobbying the
companies, Bloomberg says there is little officials can do without
congressional legislation.
'Net Neutrality:' 5 Questions, 5 Answers
The Federal Communications Commission is considering whether Internet
providers should be allowed to cut deals with online services like
Netflix, Amazon or YouTube to move their content faster.
It's a topic that has attracted record-setting public attention. The
agency received 3.7 million comments on the subject - more than double
the number filed to the regulatory agency after Janet Jackson's infamous
"wardrobe malfunction" at the 2004 Super Bowl.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler - a former industry lobbyist and venture
capitalist - says financial arrangements between broadband providers and
content sites might be OK so long as the agreements are "commercially
reasonable" and companies disclose publicly how they prioritize Internet
traffic.
But not everyone agrees, with Netflix and much of the public accusing the
FCC of handing the Internet over to the highest bidders.
Some questions and answers about the concept of "net neutrality."
Q What is "net neutrality"?
A Net neutrality is the idea that Internet service providers shouldn't
block, manipulate or slow data moving across their networks. So long as
content isn't against the law, such as child pornography or pirated
music, a file posted on one site will load generally at the same speed
as a similarly sized file on another site. Proponents say this concept
is critical to encouraging innovation and competition because it means
anyone can connect to the Internet and provide a service or content
without having to get permission from broadband providers or pay extra.
Q Doesn't everyone want a free and open Internet?
A Yes, but not everyone agrees on how to define it. Major cable and
telecom companies that sell Internet access often tout the benefits of
an open Internet, saying they would lose business if their customers
tried to access popular content and couldn't get it. Another problem
would be retaliation. Verizon subsidiaries, for example, regularly send
traffic over the networks of rival Internet service providers. It
doesn't want to block or slow traffic any more than it wants to see its
own traffic blocked or slowed, company officials have told regulators.
Having said that, Verizon and other broadband providers also want to
ensure they have flexibility to think up new ways to package and sell
Internet services. They say that's only fair, considering they are
investing hundreds of billions of dollars into a network infrastructure
that, so far, has prospered without much government intervention. How
they would use that flexibility, though, isn't entirely clear.
Q Why is this being debated now?
A Last January, a federal court overturned key portions of an open
Internet regulation put in place by the Federal Communications Commission
in 2010. The court said the FCC had "failed to cite any statutory
authority" to keep broadband providers from blocking or discriminating
against content.
That ruling sent the FCC back to the drawing board. Until the FCC can
agree on new regulations that satisfy the court's requirements, Internet
service providers could block or discriminate against content moving
across their networks with impunity.
Q What's on the table?
A:Last May, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler released a proposal that leaves the
door open for paid agreements between Internet service providers and
content providers - also called "paid prioritization" - so long as the
agreements are "commercially reasonable." Wheeler says the FCC would
step in if broadband providers act unfairly, such as providing favored
access to a subsidiary.
Wheeler said he was trying to follow guidelines suggested by the court,
and invited the public to comment on whether these paid arrangements
should be banned altogether.
Internet activists don't like the idea because they say it gives too much
power to Internet service providers and would create "fast lanes." They
say the FCC should reclassify the Internet as a public utility under
Title II of the 1934 Communications Act to ensure it has enough power to
regulate the Internet effectively. Title II classification is exactly
what Verizon and other providers don't want. They say it would subject
them to onerous regulations that would stifle investment into
infrastructure at a time when the Internet is still growing.
Some Democrats have proposed legislation that would ban paid
prioritization outright.
Q What happens next?
A The FCC is still sifting through the record-setting 3.7 million
comments filed by the public before the Sept. 15 deadline. In the
meantime, the agency is hosting several "roundtables" to hear from
stakeholders, and lawmakers have convened hearings on Capitol Hill.
One big question is whether the FCC will subject mobile networks to the
same rules. The FCC's 2010 rules for an open Internet only applied to
wired Internet access and exempted mobile networks. But that might not
make as much sense considering the explosion in wireless devices in
recent years.
While FCC officials had hoped to wrap up the issue by year's end, the
large public response is likely to push any decision into next year.
Apple Patches Bash Vulnerability on Macs
Phil Schiller, Apple's head of marketing, talks about the company's Mac
line during a recent event.
All of Apple's recent Mac computers are now safe from a security flaw
that could potentially allow hackers to take over an operating system.
Known as the "Shellshock" or "Bash" bug, the latest vulnerability for the
world's computers involves the execution of malicious code within a bash
shell - a command-line shell used in many Linux and Unix operating
systems, and by Apple's Mac OS X operating system.
Apple on Monday said it has now patched the Bash vulnerability for its
OS X Lion, Mountain Lion and Mavericks software. The company also created
a site for users to download the Bash update.
The move followed a statement by Apple late last week that most Mac users
were safe from the security flaw, but it was "working to quickly provide
a software update for our advanced UNIX users."
"Bash, a UNIX command shell and language included in OS X, has a
weakness that could allow unauthorized users to remotely gain control of
vulnerable systems," Apple said last week. "With OS X, systems are safe
by default and not exposed to remote exploits of bash unless users
configure advanced UNIX services."
The Bash glitch is reminiscent of the Heartbleed security flaw that left
information stored on data servers potentially vulnerable to hackers.
Heartbleed was first identified in April, and an estimated 300,000
servers were still exposed two months later.
Some security experts have said the Bash bug is bigger than Hearbleed
because it "interacts with other software in unexpected ways" and because
an "enormous percentage" of software interacts with the shell.
Bash, a quarter-century-old security flaw, allows malicious code
execution within the bash shell (commonly accessed through Command
Prompt on PC or Mac's Terminal application) to take over an operating
system and access confidential information.
Facebook Offers Apology for Real Name Flap
Facebook apologized on Wednesday for what it said were misunderstandings
about its policy requiring users to use their real name on the social
network a policy interpreted by some to mean that Facebook reserved
the right to determine how someone chooses to identify themselves.
A campaign to change the policy began last month after a group of drag
queens, along with San Francisco Supervisor David Campos, argued that it
compromises the privacy, health and safety of many LGBT users. The
campaign was fueled by the anger of several drag personalities who were
locked out of Facebook accounts that used their drag names. The push
expanded to include other groups such as domestic violence survivors and
immigrants, who also argued that being unable to use a pseudonym may
compromise safety.
On Wednesday, the social network sat down for negotiations with
representatives from many of the groups. After that meeting, Chief
Product Officer Chris Cox issued an apology on his own Facebook page.
In the two weeks since the real-name policy issues surfaced, weve had
the chance to hear from many of you in these communities and understand
the policy more clearly as you experience it. Weve also come to
understand how painful this has been, he wrote. We owe you a better
service and a better experience using Facebook, and were going to fix
the way this policy gets handled so everyone affected here can go back
to using Facebook as you were.
But the apology did not go so far as to admit that Facebooks widely
criticized policy was incorrect. The accounts of drag personalities, he
said, were deleted only after another user falsely reported that they
were fake.
Our policy has never been to require everyone on Facebook to use their
legal name, he wrote. The spirit of our policy is that everyone on
Facebook uses the authentic name they use in real life.
But Facebooks policy, as listed on the site, does not seem to spell out
such a lax interpretation of what constitutes a real name. Nicknames,
for example, can be used as a first or middle name if theyre a
variation of your real first or last name (like Bob instead of Robert).
Facebook further advises that the name you use should be your real name
as it would be listed on your credit card, drivers license or student
ID. That seems to imply a definition of real name synonymous with
legal name.
Nonetheless, Facebook does seem to be changing its policy. Cox assured
users that people like Sister Roma, one of the drag queens who raised hay
over the issue, will be allowed to identify themselves however they
choose.
Sister Roma unmasked as Michael Williams began posting on Facebook
with the hashtag #MyNameIsRoma and posted an altered image of his
passport featuring a headshot in drag.
Facebook agreed that the real names policy is flawed and has
unintentionally hurt members of our community, Campos said in a
statement. We have their commitment that they will be making
substantive changes soon and we have every reason to believe them.
Sister Roma, meanwhile, was pleased to reclaim her identity.
Im just happy Ill have my name back, she said.
Facebook Promises Stricter Research Guidelines
In an attempt to win back the good graces of people angered by its
controversial emotional experiment this summer, Facebook said Thursday
that in future, its research on users will be subjected to more rigorous
internal guidelines and standards.
Any research relating to material that "relates to content that may be
considered deeply personal" will be more deeply assessed before research
can begin. Among the steps it is taking, Facebook says its research
projects will now be reviewed by a panel of Facebook researchers, its
research practices will become part of the company's "six-week training
program," and its research will now be available on a new website.
Other than those vague new guidelines, however, Facebook is still
playing it close to the vest when it comes to company research
practices nor did the company make any promises about seeking user
consent prior to conducting experiments on them, experts note.
"It's clear that Facebook is chastened by the backlash they received to
the emotions study. That said, this response feels quite weak to me.
Basically, they've promised more in-depth internal review, which they
should be doing if only to prevent another spell of bad PR. But they've
not given users the option to opt out of such research, they've not
announced involving outside experts in reviews, and they've not
addressed questions of whether certain types of experiments are
ethical," says Ethan Zuckerman, director of the Center for Civic Media
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "I'm glad they've
recognized they have a problem, but the steps announced seem modest to
me."
The study that sparked Facebook's policy change, published in an
academic journal in June, deliberately manipulated users' news feeds for
one week in 2012 without their knowledge. The purpose was to test whether
people responded differently to an excess of positive or negative content
shown in their feeds. It turns out, to a degree, they do. As the
experiment showed, more positive content resulted in more positive
reactions; more negative content resulted in more negative reactions.
But when people learned Facebook was messing around with their news feeds
for purposes other than the standard targeted advertising, of course
they were not happy. A worldwide backlash erupted. Users took to Twitter
to vent their frustration. A movement urging users to quit Facebook
quickly gained popularity. Facebook was roundly criticized for
experimenting on users without their consent. And, finally, Facebook
apologized.
Granted, Internet companies experimenting with users' data is not new and
is not unique to Facebook. Shortly after news surfaced about the Facebook
experiment, the dating site OKCupid came out to publicly defend its own
manipulation of user information. Google analyzes Gmail messages to
target users with ads and search results. And Amazon uses customer
information to recommend products it thinks people will like.
Now, Facebook appears to be promising a more open, thoughtful approach to
its future research. In a statement, the company's chief technology
officer Mike Schroepfer said Facebook has learned from its past missteps.
"We were unprepared for the reaction the paper received when it was
published and have taken to heart the comments and criticism," he said in
the statement. "It is clear now that there are things we should have done
differently. For example, we should have considered other non-experimental
ways to do this research. The research would have also benefitted from
more extensive review by a wider and more senior group of people. Last, in
releasing the study, we failed to communicate clearly why and how we did
it."
Nonetheless, Facebook's business model relies on constant experimentation.
And with roughly a seventh of the world's population using its service, it
is unlikely to alter its successful practices due to the consternation of
users.
"Facebook has every reason to manipulate the News Feed to optimize for
whatever user engagement metrics correspond to the best returns for
advertisers, which in turn correspond to the best returns for Facebook,"
writes Marcus Wohlsen in Wired. "And it has every reason to use other
experiments in an effort to improve other parts of its operation. This
is the way many online companies work."
Demonstrating its ever-expanding scope, Facebook on Friday earned
approval from the European Union to cement its $19 billion purchase of
messaging service WhatsApp, the company's largest acquisition so far.
This comes at a time when many disgruntled Facebook users are seeking
alternatives. This week, Facebook apologized to the LGBT community
after drawing criticism for its real-name policy that says people can
only use the site with their legal names. That upset many users,
especially members of the LGBT community who may go by a name different
from their legal name.
Notably, social media newcomer Ello has attracted attention for
positioning itself as the anti-Facebook. The invitation-only site
features no ads and does not turn over user information to third
parties. And Ello does not require people use their real names, earning
it praise from the LGBT community.
According to Paul Budnitz, Ello's founder, the site has been signing up
new users at a rate of around 4,000 people per hour, though that number
has not been independently verified.
Windows 10 Tries Blending New With Familiar
Microsoft is trying to soften an unpopular redesign of Windows by
reviving features from older versions while still attempting to nudge
desktop users into a world of touch screens and mobile devices.
The company on Tuesday gave an early preview of the new Windows 10
software, which it aims to begin selling by the middle of next year.
Although the current version is called Windows 8, Microsoft says it's
skipping ahead to Windows 10 to emphasize its effort to move forward.
"Windows 10 represents the first step in a whole new generation of
Windows," said Terry Myerson, executive vice president of Microsoft's
operating systems group.
Windows 8 was introduced two years ago as an answer to the growing demand
for mobile devices. But many users hated it because its tablet-like
design and controls weren't a good fit for many devices using keyboards
and mice. Sales of personal computers continued to fall.
With Windows 10, Microsoft is trying to regain the loyalty of longtime PC
users, while reaching out to consumers and businesses that are
increasingly adopting touch-screen smartphones and tablets.
Analysts consider the success of the new Windows crucial for Microsoft
and new CEO Satya Nadella, who must show that Microsoft can embrace
mobile devices without sacrificing the traditional computing experience.
The new system will be a blend of the old and the new. For instance, it
will have various controls that are familiar to users of older Windows
systems, such as a start menu to quickly access apps. But this start
button will also open a series of tiles that resemble what's found in
Windows 8.
Analysts said that more gradual transition is important if Microsoft
wants to persuade users to upgrade.
"This is what Windows 8 should have been," said Carolina Milanesi, a
veteran tech analyst at the research firm Kantar Worldpanel. "Here they
are doing the right thing."
Microsoft executives signaled they got that message on Tuesday. They
stressed repeatedly that using the next version of Windows won't be a
challenge for businesses or consumers who have continued to use
Windows 7 or even earlier versions.
The new software seeks to offer "the familiarity of Windows 7 with some
of the benefits that exist in Windows 8," said Joe Belfiore, a Microsoft
executive who oversees Windows design and evolution.
He compared it to buying a new car with a more powerful engine and a
better audio system, without having to "learn a new way to drive."
Windows 10, for instance, will suggest new ways to use or navigate
through files, without forcing users to abandon the old way, Belfiore
said.
"We're designing the experience so that as you use it, the things you
already know are familiar and present, but new value is presented to you
at a rate that's easier for you to ingest," he said.
The effort drew tentative praise from several industry experts.
"They desperately needed to find a way to bridge that experience. I just
wish they'd done that with Windows 8," said Rob Enderle, a tech analyst
with the Enderle Group.
Milanesi said that while many businesses resisted upgrading to Windows 8,
they can't avoid touch screens as younger workers are accustomed to
using phones or tablets as their primary computing device.
Windows 10 will also be designed to work on a wider range of computing
devices.
Microsoft currently has three main systems Windows 8 for traditional
computers and tablets, Windows Phone 8 for cellphones and Xbox for its
gaming console. By unifying the underlying systems in Windows 10,
software developers will be able to create apps for the various devices
more easily. Consumers will also be able to switch devices more easily
and avoid having to buy the same apps multiple times.
That doesn't mean the apps will always look the same. Developers will
still be able to adapt apps for the various screen sizes, but won't have
to start from the beginning for each version.
User interfaces on the various devices may also differ, even as they
share underlying technologies. For now, Microsoft plans to keep the
current Xbox interface on the game console.
Enderle said Microsoft's effort to create a single platform should help
lure more developers to write apps something the company needs to boost
usage of Windows tablets and phones.
Windows is the most widely used PC operating system in the world, but it
is steadily losing ground as more people turn to smartphones and tablets,
which primarily run on operating systems from Microsoft rivals Apple and
Google. That's why Nadella wants to create one system that will run on
all devices.
"It's certainly an ambitious goal, but it's also a little early to tell
how it will work," said Michael Silver, a tech analyst at Gartner.
Apple and Google have both rejected Microsoft's approach of unifying the
various systems, preferring to keep systems for PCs and mobile devices
separate.
Microsoft also touted new security and management features for business
customers, which represent a lucrative market for the company. Almost
half of all PCs are used in the workplace, according to Gartner.
While a "technical preview" version of the software is being released
this week, Microsoft said it won't be ready to talk about new consumer
features until next year.
Microsoft declined to say how much the new software would cost or how it
will be distributed. Analysts have speculated that the company might be
considering a subscription model as it has with Office software
rather than selling each new version of Windows separately.
Britons Sign Away First-born Children for Free WiFi
Several Britons agreed to give up their eldest child in return for the
use of free wifi, in an experiment to highlight the dangers of public
Internet, published on Monday.
Londoners were asked to agree to terms and conditions as they logged on
to use free wifi in a cafe in a busy financial district and at a site
close to the houses of parliament.
The terms included a "Herod clause", under which the wifi was provided
only if "the recipient agreed to assign their first born child to us
for the duration of eternity".
In the short period the terms and conditions were live, six people
signed up.
"As this is an experiment, we will be returning the children to their
parents," said the tech security firm that ran the experiment,
F-Secure.
The experiment was aimed to highlight "the total disregard for computer
security by people when they are mobile" the report said.
Germany ethical hacking company SySS built the device used in the
study: a mobile wifi hotspot small enough to be carried in a handbag
for around 200 euros ($254).
In just 30 minutes, 250 devices connected to the hotspot - some of them
doing so automatically due to their settings.
The company was able to collect the text of emails they sent, the email
addresses of the sender and recipient, and the password of the sender.
The head of Europol's European Cybercrime Centre told the study they
already had reports of criminals using free wifi to steal personal
data.
"At best, your device is only leaking information about you; at worst,
your passwords are being spilled into a publicly accessible space...
anybody on the network can see your information," said F-Secure
Security Advisor Sean Sullivan.
=~=~=~=
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