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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 18 Issue 11
Volume 18, Issue 11 Atari Online News, Etc. March 18, 2016
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2016
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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Visit the Atari Advantage Forum on Delphi!
http://forums.delphiforums.com/atari/
=~=~=~=
A-ONE #1811 03/18/16
~ Home Depot Settles Suit ~ People Are Talking! ~ Firebee Update News!
~ Cross Platform Gaming? ~ Online Harassment Summit ~ Twitter Keeps Limit?
~ More Win 10 Complaints! ~ Diablo II Still Updated! ~ 4K-capable "PS4.5"!
~ From the Atari Vault! ~ ~ 3DNES Emulator Out!
-* Vintage Computer Festival 4.0 *-
-* Atari Book - Breakin' the Borders! *-
-* DDoS Protection Firm Was Itself Hacked! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Happy [belated] St. Patrick's Day! Hopefully, you all managed
to do a little celebrating of the "wearin' o' the green' with
some related Irish fare. Me, since I had to work that night,
we had a nice corned beef and cabbage dinner the night before!
Well, why not - I learned about 10 years ago that there is
some Irish in my family. Well, I was always one to partake in
having a green beer or two on St. Patty's Day anyway!
This weekend marks the official beginning of Spring! So, what's
planned for the weather? How about a Nor'easter starting the
same day! Of course, nature always seems to have a way to even
things out (or get even!). If the forecast holds true, we could
be getting up to a foot of snow, starting late in the weekend!
I guess we'll see what happens...
Not much new in the political front. Sure, Marco Rubio dropped out
of the GOP race, but that wasn't unexpected. It will be a two-man
race soon enough, once John Kasich lets reality hit him. It
appears that the GOP will continue to try and sway voters and
delegates to stay away from Trump. When will politicians learn to
listen to the voters? They apparently want to see change, but no
one is paying attention! The saga continues!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
FireBee Update News
By Fred Horvat
It was a slow week for me with the FireBee. I didnít use it but
did have a topic in mind for this weekís installment that I wanted
to start talking about. But then when reading Atari-Forum.com
this week something came up in the FireBee Forum that got my
attention. Message http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=92&t=29564
stated that there is a patch to run N.AES 2.0 on the FireBee. I
purchased N.AES 2.0 CD around 2002 from 16/32 Systems from the UK.
N.AES is a replacement AES (Atari Windowing System) for MiNT.
Woller Systems in Germany produced the CD. What is on the CD is
much more. It is a full blown GEM based MiNT installer. It
installs MiNT onto your Atari ST, TT, Falcon, or clone (You choose
which system on the install screen). Once installed you have a
fully functional GEM Based MiNT multitasking OS with a slick
looking and highly customizable Windowing Interface. I liked this
package mostly because it had an easy to use installer to install
and configure MiNT much like EasyMiNT
http://atari.st-katharina-apotheke.de/ EasyMiNT offers more and
is what I use today under Aranym. But the thought of running
N.AES again is something I do wish to try again. I did leave a
question on the above posting asking how to go about installing
the patched N.AES file onto the FireBee. Basically asking if I
need to install N.AES fresh and then patch the require file or
replace XaAES with N.AES with the supplied FreeMiNT installation
that comes already with the FireBee. I assume the latter of
replacing XaAES with N.AES but until I hear back I will not know
for sure.
This is something I do want to try out in the near future. There
is nothing wrong with the XaAES that is included with the FireBee
FreeMiNT but I do own N.AES 2.0 and do like the look and feel of
the Windows better with than XaAES.
Vintage Computer Festival 4.0
Hello friends,
VCF Southeast 4.0 is coming in two weeks! :)
We'd love to see everyone again this year, as well as some new
friends and family.
http://vcfse.com
http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-southeast-4-0/
See you there!
Breakin' The Borders - A Book About The Atari ST Demo Scene
Hello Guys,
Many of you might be involved in the making of this book already,
others not.
I recently started a book about the Atari ST Demoscene, about the
history and the art. It's a very design-orientated coffee table
book, guided by an essayistic view onto the beginning of the
16-bit era. It also tells the story of Thalion, as they were
formed by demoscene members. I am glad if you support this huge
project to make this become reality!
For more information around the concept, please refer to my
webpage:
http://breakintheborders.weebly.com/
Best regards to all of you!
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - Sony Preparing To Launch 4K-capable ìPS4.5î!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Rocket League PC, Xbox One Players Compete!
Diablo II Still Getting New Updates!
And much more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Sony Preparing To Launch 4K-capable ìPS4.5î
Sony may be preparing to release a more powerful version of the
PlayStation 4 with extra graphical firepower. According to a
report from Kotaku, Sony has begun briefing game publishers on
its plans for the new hardware in recent weeks, including at a
series of meetings held at the Game Developerís Conference in
San Francisco this week.
Citing multiple anonymous developer sources, the report states
that the primary difference between the so-called ìPS4.5î and the
current model would be an upgraded GPU. The more powerful
hardware would allow developers to make games that run at 4K
resolution. The current PS4 can play videos and show images in
4K, but games only run at 1080p.
An upgraded GPU would also make the console a more capable VR
computing solution. Depending on the nature of the upgrade, the
new hardware may level the playing field between PlayStation VR
and the more demanding Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets, which
run in conjunction with PCs and have highly demanding hardware
requirements.
Kotaku did not receive information on when the new PlayStation 4
would launch, or how much it would cost. However, one source
apparently described the meeting as ìexploratoryî and implied
that the device would likely not launch this year. It is also
unclear whether or not Sony will offer an upgrade path for
players who own the original version of the PlayStation 4.
The news comes just a few weeks after Xbox chief Phil Spencer
told the press he believed the future of console gaming would
involve ìupgradable hardwareî and an iterative release cycle
similar to the smartphone market.
ìWe can effectively feel a little bit more like we see on PC,
where I can still go back and run my old Doom and Quake games
that I used to play years ago, but I can still see the best 4K
games come out and my library is always with me,î Spencer said
during the Xbox Spring Showcase earlier this month.
Between the new PlayStation 4, Spencerís upgradable Xbox tease,
and the Nintendo NX console (which some believe may launch this
year), there is now reason to believe all three console
manufacturers have new hardware in active development.
Microsoft Will Let Rocket League PC, Xbox One Players Compete
Microsoft said Monday that itís working to enable cross-platform
play, or ìcrossplay,î between the Xbox One and Windows PCs ó and
it looks like support might eventually extend to other consoles
as well.
Microsoftís Chris Charla, the director of the ID@Xbox indepedent
gaming program at Microsoft, said in an open letter that the hit
Psyonix game Rocket League will be one of the first games to
support ìcrossplayîóthe ability for PC gamers to play directly
against gamers on the Xbox One.
Expect cross-platform play to become more of a trend, Charla
said ó and to reach beyond the Xbox One.
ì[I]n addition to natively supporting cross-platform play between
Xbox One and Windows 10 games that use Xbox Live, weíre enabling
developers to support cross-network play as well,î Charla wrote.
ìThis means players on Xbox One and Windows 10 using Xbox Live
will be able to play with players on different online multiplayer
networks ó including other console and PC networks.î
Itís not clear what those ìother console and PC networksî are ó
but the PlayStation 4 and Linux (specifically SteamOS) seem like
good guesses. Rocket League supports bothóand a port to Appleís
OS X is also in the works.
The story behind the story: Before you get too excited, however,
itís worth noting that the game developers themselves will have
to support the cross-play functionality. A source close to
Microsoft tried to downplay the idea that Xbox Live will be
ported to the Sony PlayStation 4. He implied that ìdifferent
online multiplayer networksî should be interpreted as connecting
different groups of local players together, more like connecting
local multiplayer sessions than anything elseóat least for now.
Crossplay is Microsoftís latest step in bringing the Windows 10
PC and the Xbox One closer together, complete with an overhaul
of the Xbox One interface to bring it more in line with
Windows 10; and the Xbox app on Windows 10, which allows PC
players to remotely control and play the console. Microsoftís
recent game Quantum Break allows players to share saves between
the PC and console, so they can pick up and play on either
platform.
Allowing gamers to actually compete between platforms is totally
new for Microsoft. Itís worth noting, however, that Sony has
supported this capability, and with Rocket League, too: PC
gamers can already play PS4 gamers in real time.
Canít wait for Rocket League? Then try contacting the
developers of #IDARB, the quirky platformer for the Xbox One.
Other Ocean Group has already released the game for the Xbox
One, and is extending it to the PC.
16 Years After Launch, Diablo II Still Getting New Updates
Diablo II was released sixteen years ago, in 2000, but Blizzard
Entertainment is not done supporting the action role-playing
game just yet. The developer this week pushed out a new update
for the game, 1.14a, which marks the first new patch released
since 2011 (via Kotaku).
"It's been a long time coming," Blizzard said in a forum post
announcing the update.
The update principally focuses on improving the overall
experience for modern computers. Specifically, it fixes system
glitches that could occur on newer systems.
This may not be the final Diablo II update, either, as Blizzard
said it is working to improve the game's cheat-detection and
hack-prevention systems.
As for why Blizzard is supporting such an old game, the developer
said Diablo II still has a "large" player base around the world,
though it didn't share any specific figures.
"We thank you for continuing to play and slay with us," the
developer said. "This journey starts by making Diablo II run on
modern platforms, but it does not end there. See you in
Sanctuary, adventurers."
Successor Diablo III, released in May 2012, has sold more than
30 million copies across PC and console.
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
Atari Vault
Relive the Golden Age of Gaming with 100 of the most popular
iconic games from the 70ís and 80ís. Now with online multiplayer
capability, this extensive catalog includes classic Atari titles
like Asteroids, Centipede, Missile Command, and many more,
paired with intuitive new controls designed to mimic what Atari
fans remember from the glory days! The brand new additions of
online and local multiplayer, along with Steam Leaderboards,
allows you to challenge friends and compete with players from
around the world like never before. And now with Steam Controller
support, youíll have unprecedented levels of precision control.
Atari Vault is the ultimate collection of classic Atari titles,
and is guaranteed to provide hours of fun!
FEATURES:
100 Classic Atari 2600 and Arcade Games ñ Play seminal Atari
titles including Asteroids, Centipede, Missile Command, Tempest,
Warlords, and so much more.
Online and Local Multiplayer and Steam Leaderboards ñ For the
first time ever, battle for arcade supremacy online or at home
and compare your high scores with players from around the world.
Steam Controller Support ñExperience a new level of control
playing your favorite games with the multi-functional Steam
Controller.
Brand New User-Interface ñ New User-Interface designed to
create the greatest classic arcade experience.
Original Cabinet and Box Art ñ Relive the glory days with
period-accurate cabinet and box art.
Game Soundtrack - Rock out to original 70ís and 80ís game
soundtracks.
Genre:
Arcade / Atari Play
Developer / Studio:
Code Mystics
Game Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
OS: Windows 7, 8.1, or 10
Processor: 2.0 Ghz
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: DX 11 or higher compatible
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 1 GB available space
Additional Notes: Network Required for Online Play
System Requirements:
OS: Windows 7, 8.1, or 10
Processor: 2.0 Ghz
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: DX 11 or higher compatible
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 1 GB available space
Additional Notes: Network Required for Online Play
3DNES Emulator Adds New Dimension to Classic Nintendo Titles
Man, what if there was an emulator that could take any 8-Bit
Nintendo Entertainment System title and make it new again? While
not exactly perfect 3DNES does give a new take on the classics of
yesteryear. The 8-Bit Nintendo NES was not powerful enough to do
a lot of the graphical tricks that we saw beginning in the 16-bit
era such as line scrolling (popularized in the floors of Street
Fighter II). Some games work immensely well while others, well,
they arenít so lucky. If you want to play with 3DNES you are
going to have to fire up the Firefox browser though.
Emulators are nothing new in gaming. We have had them for decades
and they have improved year after year. This is an early release
of 3DNES and if history has shown us anything, early releases are
just a taste of what is to come. Right now though, man, some
games look great.
The video that we have available shows off a few of the NES
classics that we all probably remember dearly. Dr. Mario is
first and it works great - the 3D effect doesnít really change
how the game plays. This would probably be true for most single
screen games like other puzzle titles.
Next up is Contra by Konami. If you are wanting to use 3DNES
only for Contra, um, wait for a future version. This version
makes Contra nearly unplayable though you can see how things are
progressing.
Capcomís Mega Man is after Contra. This time the 3DNES emulator
does a very good job in working with the original game. Shadows
are in play, additional bits of shading and an added problem with
lining up with ladders just for fun. Still, quite an admirable
presentation so early on.
Legend of Zelda II is somewhat cool looking. The fight scenes
are cool and detailed but the towns are another story (on par
with how bad Contra faired).
Ah, Super Mario Bros 3- what do we have here? Oh goodness
gracious, a combination between Zelda II and Contra. Some parts
are playable but others are, well, letís see what the next
version of 3DNES brings to the table.
Legend of Kage gives the worse presentation of the bunch- beating
out Contra, if you can believe that.
Castlevania, another Konami classic finishes out the video.
Again, we are looking at some Legend of Zelda II scenes here.
The person playing moves the camera around a bit and it seems to
fix the problems nicely till the later part of level one.
Obviously improvements would make this classic even more
worthwhile to replay.
If you want to give 3DNES a try, head over to BitBucket.org and
load up your favorites. You never know, they just might work.
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Home Depot Settles Consumer Lawsuit Over Big 2014 Data Breach
Home Depot Inc (HD.N) agreed to pay at least $19.5 million to
compensate U.S. consumers harmed by a 2014 data breach affecting
more than 50 million cardholders.
The home improvement retailer will set up a $13 million fund to
reimburse shoppers for out-of-pocket losses, and spend at least
$6.5 million to fund 1-1/2 years of cardholder identity
protection services.
Home Depot also agreed to improve data security over a two-year
period, and hire a chief information security officer to oversee
its progress. It will separately pay legal fees and related costs
for affected consumers.
Terms of the preliminary settlement were disclosed in papers
filed on Monday with the federal court in Atlanta, where Home
Depot is based.
Home Depot did not admit wrongdoing or liability in agreeing to
settle. The settlement requires court approval.
"We wanted to put the litigation behind us, and this was the most
expeditious path," spokesman Stephen Holmes said. "Customers were
never responsible for any fraudulent charges."
Home Depot has said the breach affected people who used payment
cards on its self-checkout terminals in U.S. and Canadian stores
between April and September 2014.
It has said the intruder used a vendor's user name and password
to infiltrate its computer network, and used custom-built
malware to access shoppers' payment card information.
The accord covers about 40 million people who had payment card
data stolen, and 52 million to 53 million people who had email
addresses stolen, with some overlap between the groups.
Home Depot said it has booked $161 million of pre-tax expenses
for the breach, including for the consumer settlement, and after
accounting for expected insurance proceeds.
Lawyers for the consumers said the accord compares "favorably"
with other data breach class actions, including Target Corp's
$10 million settlement over a 2013 data breach that compromised
at least 40 million cards.
Legal fees and costs for the lawyers could top $8.7 million,
court papers showed.
At least 57 proposed class action lawsuits were filed in U.S.
and Canadian courts over the data breach. The U.S. cases were
consolidated in the Atlanta court.
The case is In re: Home Depot Inc Customer Data Security Breach
Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia,
No. 14-md-02583.
DDoS Protection Firm Gets Pwned
A California-based firm that provides protection against
distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks was itself hacked
last week.
Staminus Communications had its entire network knocked offline
for more than 20 hours on Thursday, during which sensitive
customer data was leaked.
"Around 5 a.m. PST [March 10], a rare event cascaded across
multiple routers in a system-wide event, making our backbone
unavailable," Staminus wrote in a series of social media posts
while its website was down. "Our technicians quickly began
working to identify the problem. We understand and share your
frustration," the company said.
While Staminus scrambled to restore service, the hackers on
Thursday dumped private data online, in what security expert
Brian Krebs called a "classic 'hacker e-zine' format," called
"F**k 'em all."
The page includes links to download databases reportedly stolen
from Staminus and Intreppidóa Staminus project that targets
customers looking for protection against large DDoS attacks.
The hacker group claim to have seized control over Staminus's
Internet routers, resetting the devices to their factory
settings, Krebs said. They also suggest Staminus used "one root
password for all the boxes," and stored full credit card
information in plain textóa violation of payment card industry
standards.
"We can now confirm the issue was a result of an unauthorized
intrusion into our network. As a result of this intrusion, our
systems were temporarily taken offline and customer information
was exposed," Staminus CEO Matt Mahvi said in a statement
published on Friday. "Upon discovering this attack, Staminus
took immediate action including launching an investigation into
the attack, notifying law enforcement and restoring our systems."
Usernames, hashed passwords, customer record information ó
including names and contact informationóand payment card data
were exposed; Staminus, however, does not collect Social Security
numbers or tax IDs.
"While the investigation continues, we have and will continue to
put additional measures into place to harden our security to help
prevent a future attack," Mahvi said.
"I fully recognize that our customers put their trust in Staminus
and, while we believe that the issue has been contained, we are
continuing to take the appropriate steps needed to safeguard our
clients' information and enhance our data security policies," he
added, encouraging all users to change their password immediately.
As Krebs pointed out, anti-DDoS providers are a common target for
hackers; the sites often host customers whose content is
offensive or hateful. Staminus, for example, covers kkk.com ó the
official homepage for the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) white supremacist
group.
Among a catalog of other customers, the dump included a list of
"Tips When Running a Security Company," detailing security holes
found during the breach.
At SXSW, Talking About Online Harassment ó But Is Anyone Listening?
SXSW Interactive ó the annual festival that wrapped up Tuesday in
Austin, Texas ó has a special fondness for talking up all the ways
that technology is going to be awesome. But this year, festival
organizers set aside most of its first full day to discuss how
technology has enabled some of our uglier habits.
First, though, those organizers had to be essentially shamed into
hosting a track of talks on the topic of online harassment. And
even then, the overwhelming majority of SXSW attendees skipped the
whole thing. In the movement to make it harder to harass people
whose opinions you dislike via social media, that is what passes
for progress .
How we got here
Originally, the Online Harassment Summit that took place Saturday
was not even on the schedule. SXSW had cancelled a scheduled panel
about online harassment in gaming after receiving threats of
violence. But when BuzzFeed and Vox Media threatened to pull out
of the festival in protest, organizers reversed course and put
together this lineup of talks.
They elected to hold the gathering in a relatively remote
location, across the river from downtown Austin, and under strict
security ó Iíve never had my laptop bag inspected that closely,
and I was told repeatedly that if I left it anywhere it would be
confiscated.
That airport-esque regime and the outsized commute suppressed
attendance; at one panel, I counted only 18 other people in the
audience.
Of course, some SXSW attendees ó the kind of people who say that
recipients of online death threats and other abuse are just
making it up or need to grow thicker skin ó cited that low
turnout as proof that Internet harassment wasnít a real problem.
But as Saturdayís panelists told their limited audience, the
problem is real, and itís not just a matter of people using mean
words.
The pattern is well documented: Somebody ó usually a female
somebody ó expresses an opinion online and, in response, gets a
torrent of spittle-flecked rage, up to and including rape and
death threats personalized with their home or work address.
Jamia Wilson, executive director of Women, Action, and the Media,
offered a breakdown of the Twitter harassment reported by people
through its site: 27 percent consisted of hate speech; 22 percent
ìdoxingî (posting private information); 12 percent featured
threats of violence; 9 percent involved lying about the target;
and 3 percent included revenge porn (posting real or fake naked
photos of the target).
Thereís also a political dimension to this, as former Texas state
senator Wendy Davis said. ìI could literally say itís a beautiful
day in Austin today, and the responses I get on Twitter are ëbaby
murdererí.ì
During her unsuccessful campaign for governor of that state, that
Democrat had to deal with an incessant flood of abuse, including
fake photos of her in one sex position or another. ìSome of it
was excruciatingly difficult to read,î she said, adding that she
eventually took Twitter and Facebookís apps off her phone.
In an interview afterwards, Davis told me those apps are back on
her phone now, and she ìuses them on a regular basis.î I was not
surprised by that: How is a politician supposed to do her job these
days without social media?
It is sometimes suggested that victims of online harassment ìstay
off the Internet for a while.î But, as multiple panelists said,
that advice is both irritatingly useless and career-limiting.
Panelists also complained about the continued prevalence of
hostile comments on media sites and suggested that a broken ad
business model was part of the problem.
ìTheyíre showing ads on every page and every comment and every
click,î said Elisa Camahort Page, chief community officer at
SheKnows Media. ìAre they economically motivated not to moderate?î
What is to be done?
Iíve heard these stories before. But during Saturdayís sessions,
and later on throughout SXSW, I found some ground for optimism
about our ability to chip away at the problem of online
harassment. And it starts with the ways social media networks
deal with hostile behavior intended to silence speakers.
Multiple panelists commended Facebook and Twitter for improving
their tools for dealing with abuse. ìThere has been a sea-change,î
said Womenís Media Center director Soraya Chemaly of Facebook.
Wilson noted that Twitter, historically a laggard, has been more
responsive lately: ìTwitter listened and made some changes.î
Davis echoed those compliments in our conversation afterwards:
ìYouíre seeing a greater understanding by these social-media
platforms of exactly how to define harassment, and what the tools
need to be to address that harassment.î
Creating new tools to fight harassment can also help. Medium, for
example, is experimenting with machine-learning to spot patterns
of abuse, such as repetitive insults. ìThis person is not
conversing,î trust and safety coordinator Greg Gueldner said
Saturday. ìTheyíre sniping.î
Another panel that morning featured the Israeli non-profit Red
Buttonís app, which lets people (and especially kids) report
abusive behavior to have it investigated by volunteers.
At an afternoon session, Rep. Katherine Clark (D.-Mass.) ó the
victim of a fake police report intended to get cops to storm her
house ó said she would introduce a bill to fund investigation and
prosecution of online abuse. Clark announced the legislation, the
Cybercrime Enforcement Training Assistance Act, on Wednesday.
And on Monday, the Coral Project ó an open-source collaboration
between the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Mozilla
Foundation and the Knight Foundation ó used a SXSW panel to
announce its first shipped product. Its Trust software helps
publishers rate commenters and find the most enlightening
individuals among them.
(Donít overlook the importance of having a serviceís staff show up
in comments. In a session about the role of community managers,
Genius artist relations manager Rob Markman said that helped set a
better tone: ìWeíre not necessarily [just] policing the community,
but modeling behavior as well.ì)
I like Coralís goals, but the conversations Iíve had with people
there suggest weíre unlikely to see sites share information about
each otherís commenters. That could leave harassers free to jump
from platform to platform, a problem Mediumís Gueldner confessed
some uncertainty about Saturday.
One reason why: Many abusers donít realize that theyíre being
jerks until somebody breaks things down for them. ìEducation in
controlling harassment is very effective,î Gueldner said. ìItís
hard to scale, but it works.î
People Are Claiming Their PCs Are Automatically
Upgrading to Windows 10 ó Without Their Permission
Microsoftís aggressive campaign to get customers to Windows 10
is raising some eyebrows, with scattered reports that some
peopleís PCs are automatically upgrading from Windows 7 ó without
their explicit permission.
For instance, in a post titled ìMy PC Upgraded To Windows 10
Without Asking, Then Immediately Broke,î Kotakuís Patrick Klepek
shares the story of how, last week, his Windows 7 PC installed
the Windows 10 update automatically overnight.
ìMaybe I forgot to push back the upgrade schedule, maybe I
accidentally scheduled it by clicking the wrong button. Whatever
the case, I definitely did not intend to install Windows 10,î
Klepek writes.
In the comments, on Reddit, and elsewhere on social media, other
users chimed in to share their own similar stories of their
familiar Windows 7 and 8.1 PCs getting suddenly upgraded to
Windows 10.
ìI needed to set up my departmentís bronchoscopy cart quickly for
someone with some sick lungs. I só you not, when I turned on the
computer it had to do a Windows update,î writes Reddit user
Lolrus123.
Some users, including Kotakuís Klepek, are also reporting that
the automatic Windows 10 upgrade is breaking their computers,
making certain hardware and accessories unrecognizable by the
system until they reinstall Windows.
For what itís worth, that same Reddit thread also hit on a
possible solution ó if your Windows Update is suggesting you
install an update called ìKB 3035583,î deselecting it will
apparently prevent an unwanted Windows 10 install.
Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A history of nagging
Influential Microsoft blogger Paul Thurrott writes that heís been
hearing these complaints intermittently since October 2015, and
notes that it tends to happen around the same time that Microsoft
steps up its nagging campaign of getting Windows 7 and 8 users to
upgrade.
Since Windows 10's launch in July 2015, Microsoft has gradually
stepped up its efforts to get older PCs to accept the free
upgrade to Windows 10. Indeed, just last week, Microsoft started
using ads placed directly in to Windows 7 and 8's Internet
Explorer browser to urge users to move up to Windows 10.
At first, it was an optional update, but Microsoft has gradually
gotten more insistent. In February, Microsoft announced it would
start automatically downloading Windows 10 in the background on
more PCs to ease the transition when users decide they want to
proceed with the upgrade.
Those downloads donít actually install Windows 10 on a userís
PC however (aside from one short period that Microsoft says was
a glitch that has been fixed). Instead the software just sits on
the PC, ready to be installed when a user decides they want to
upgrade.
The surprise installations may simply be the result of users
too-quickly clicking through their Windows Update screens. But
thatís not enough for lots of folks, given that Microsoft
designed the Windows Update screens.
ìThereís no way to actually say no, or even to ask the system to
stop nagging you for some amount of time. You simply have to deal
with the nagging until you finally give up and upgrade. That is
not a good user experience,î Thurrott writes.
From Microsoftís perspective, it wants as many people on
Windows 10 as possible, with an end-goal of one billion users on
the new operating system within the next two years or so.
First and foremost, itís an important business driver for
Microsoft, which sees the new operating system as a funnel
towards its lucrative subscription services, including Office
365 and Xbox Live.
But Microsoft is also quick to point out that Windows 10 comes
with lots of benefits, too, including better security. Thatís
why big customers like the US Department of Defense are moving
all of their four million PCs and tablets to Windows 10.
Still, itís important that Microsoft gives users more choice.
Windows 10 might be great (I certainly think so), but all of this
nagging is ultimately burning through a lot of goodwill.
Twitter To Keep 140-character Limit, CEO Says
Twitter Inc's 140-character tweets are here to stay, Chief
Executive Jack Dorsey said on Friday, ending speculation that
the microblogging site might abandon one of its trademark
features for a 10,000-character limit.
"It's staying. It's a good constraint for us and it allows for
of-the-moment brevity," Dorsey said on NBC's Today Show.
A Twitter spokesman declined to elaborate.
In January, technology news website Re/code reported that
Twitter was building a new feature that would allow tweets as
long as 10,000 characters.
Twitter has declined to comment on the feature directly. But
Dorsey tweeted the day of the report that the company had seen
more screenshots of text posted as a way to get around the
140-character limit.
"We're not going to be shy about building more utility and power
into Twitter for people," Dorsey wrote at the time, also in a
screenshot of text that was longer than 140 characters.
Dorsey has changed some of Twitter's core features since he
returned to run Twitter permanently in October. Twitter has added
"Moments," which allows users to easily find tweets about the
day's biggest news stories, and changed the shape of its
"favorite" icon from a star to a heart.
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