Microsoft has now responded to the privacy violation accusations and Terry Myerson, the company’s Windows head, posted a blog post to alleviate concerns that it was spying on users.
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The Executive Vice President, is saying exactly what consumer’s should want to hear – Microsoft realises that trust must be earned, and that it is listening to feedback. Unfortunately, not all users are pleased with this feature of Microsoft’s newest operating system.
One of Microsoft’s most affordable Windows Phone 8.1 handsets has hit a new low in Australia.
The stated aim of Windows 10 is to be in over one billion hands by two or three years time. In other words, the data it collectes helps you – it doesn’t hurt. For the most part, the company uses data to offer you a personalised experience, and to track bugs and crashes, to improve performance and reliability.
This is especially true given the fact that even when all personalization features are turned off, Windows 10 sends personally identifiable information associated with Microsoft’s OneDrive to an unknown content delivery network.
Are we really in control of personalisation data? I have no trepidation about using it or recommending it.
What do you think about these changes? That might include recommendations based on places marked in the Maps app or breaking news alerts about a sports team you follow in the MSN Sports app. Cortana also gives you privacy customization options.
We noted that users undecided about whether to make the leap to Windows 10 would be well served holding off for a few weeks or even months, and sure enough, in its first month, the OS saw several fixes released for apps including Calendar, Mail and the Windows Store. “Whether you answer a survey or let the product do this automatically, Microsoft is arguing their approach is focused on making things better for users not just on treating the users as a resource to be mined”. If it works as intended, this should allow Windows 10 desktop and mobile users to access bookmarks seamlessly across devices.
Default apps: Windows 10 removes default file associations – so if you’ve spent time meticulously assigning software to certain apps, there’s a chance you’ll have to do it all again. By enhancing the upgrade experience for users, they stand to keep users on-side and, crucially, help us use their software safely and productively. If a middle press is used to open Edge, a new window will open, much like when a middle click is used for a new tab while browsing, which you can see in the above animation.
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We caught up with Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, to get his thoughts on Microsoft’s Windows 10 privacy push.
