Free Windows 10 upgrade
Sep 28, 2015, 8:04 pm
#572
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E50K (*G) WS Gold | SPG/Fairmont Plat Hilton/Hyatt Diamond Marriott Silver | National Exec Elite
Posts: 19,284
Sep 28, 2015, 10:39 pm
#573
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: in the vicinity of SFO
Programs: AA 2MM (LT-PLT, PPro for this year)
Posts: 19,781
Sep 29, 2015, 10:06 am
#574
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E50K (*G) WS Gold | SPG/Fairmont Plat Hilton/Hyatt Diamond Marriott Silver | National Exec Elite
Posts: 19,284
1) Flight delays
2) Traffic delays
3) *here's one that floors me, which I did not think it was possible, but it linked #1 and #2 to advise me when I should head out the door.
Sep 29, 2015, 10:44 am
#575
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Denver, CO, USA
Programs: Sometimes known as [ARG:6 UNDEFINED]
Posts: 26,706
Sep 29, 2015, 11:07 am
#576
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: in the vicinity of SFO
Programs: AA 2MM (LT-PLT, PPro for this year)
Posts: 19,781
I find it useful, although Tripit is enough better at it that I paid for one year of Tripit Pro when I ceased to have access to it through my prior employer.
Sep 29, 2015, 12:22 pm
#577
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E50K (*G) WS Gold | SPG/Fairmont Plat Hilton/Hyatt Diamond Marriott Silver | National Exec Elite
Posts: 19,284
Sep 29, 2015, 9:36 pm
#579
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
Posts: 36,062
One of Windows 10's more questionable features lets Microsoft use your machine as a torrent-like file sharer for updates. The default setting allows it to share updates on your machine with anyone on the internet. In other words, Microsoft is taking the update download burden off itself and, instead using your bandwidth. It can be changed to limit update sharing to your local network, or turned off completely. I can see some limited utility to sharing downloads on your local network, but absolutely none to the "entire internet" setting -- Microsoft simply has shifted costs associated with distributing updates from itself to its customers. I suspect it is also a matter of time until someone writes malware that will hijack this capability to steal data or create mass malware infections.
As for Microsoft collecting information, when I use Facebook or shop on Amazon or post on FlyerTalk there is a quid pro quo for the information that is collected by the site owners: I get the benefit offered by the site and, if I don't like the tradeoff, I can simply not visit it. Windows is an operating system -- I can't run my computer without it (I'll leave off discussion of Linux and other alternatives for the moment). What Microsoft is doing is no different than if the oil companies collected data on where you drive every time you filled up at the pump.
And, of course, what is particularly unacceptable is that the spyware is the default setting -- it is "opt out," not "opt in," and, in opting out requires chasing down a number of arcane settings buried several screens deeps in non-intuitive places.
As for Microsoft collecting information, when I use Facebook or shop on Amazon or post on FlyerTalk there is a quid pro quo for the information that is collected by the site owners: I get the benefit offered by the site and, if I don't like the tradeoff, I can simply not visit it. Windows is an operating system -- I can't run my computer without it (I'll leave off discussion of Linux and other alternatives for the moment). What Microsoft is doing is no different than if the oil companies collected data on where you drive every time you filled up at the pump.
And, of course, what is particularly unacceptable is that the spyware is the default setting -- it is "opt out," not "opt in," and, in opting out requires chasing down a number of arcane settings buried several screens deeps in non-intuitive places.
Sep 30, 2015, 1:12 pm
#580
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Seattle
Programs: SE100K (Star Gold)
Posts: 125
What Microsoft is doing is no different than if the oil companies collected data on where you drive every time you filled up at the pump.
And, of course, what is particularly unacceptable is that the spyware is the default setting -- it is "opt out," not "opt in," and, in opting out requires chasing down a number of arcane settings buried several screens deeps in non-intuitive places.
And, of course, what is particularly unacceptable is that the spyware is the default setting -- it is "opt out," not "opt in," and, in opting out requires chasing down a number of arcane settings buried several screens deeps in non-intuitive places.
Sep 30, 2015, 7:36 pm
#581
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
Posts: 36,062
Also, I'm not sure what you mean by, "a screen pops up." For example, to disable Microsoft from stealing your bandwidth to deliver updates from your machine to strangers on the internet, you have to follow this sequence:
Start --> Settings --> Update and Security --> Windows Update --> Advanced Options --> Choose How Updates are Delivered --> OFF (or "PCs on my local network")
The default is "PCs on my local network, and PCs on the internet."
That's six screens to get to a slide switch and/or radio button.
For privacy settings, it's Start --> Settings --> Privacy at which point your confronted with 13 different horizontal tabs, each of which has multiple settings for various privacy settings. The default for all of them is to allow sharing of privacy information, which includes account information, location, contacts and other sensitive information, with Microsoft and with third-party apps.
This is simply unacceptable. I'm a relatively sophisticated computer user, but it took me several days to go through each and every one of these settings. And, of course, NONE of this is disclosed during Windows 10 installation and some of it I found out only by accident while surfing internet articles about Win10.
Sep 30, 2015, 7:59 pm
#582
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Seattle
Programs: SE100K (Star Gold)
Posts: 125
I tried typing "privacy" on the start menu and it just does a web search.
Also, I'm not sure what you mean by, "a screen pops up." For example, to disable Microsoft from stealing your bandwidth to deliver updates from your machine to strangers on the internet, you have to follow this sequence:
Start --> Settings --> Update and Security --> Windows Update --> Advanced Options --> Choose How Updates are Delivered --> OFF (or "PCs on my local network")
The default is "PCs on my local network, and PCs on the internet."
That's six screens to get to a slide switch and/or radio button.
For privacy settings, it's Start --> Settings --> Privacy at which point your confronted with 13 different horizontal tabs, each of which has multiple settings for various privacy settings. The default for all of them is to allow sharing of privacy information, which includes account information, location, contacts and other sensitive information, with Microsoft and with third-party apps.
This is simply unacceptable. I'm a relatively sophisticated computer user, but it took me several days to go through each and every one of these settings. And, of course, NONE of this is disclosed during Windows 10 installation and some of it I found out only by accident while surfing internet articles about Win10.
Also, I'm not sure what you mean by, "a screen pops up." For example, to disable Microsoft from stealing your bandwidth to deliver updates from your machine to strangers on the internet, you have to follow this sequence:
Start --> Settings --> Update and Security --> Windows Update --> Advanced Options --> Choose How Updates are Delivered --> OFF (or "PCs on my local network")
The default is "PCs on my local network, and PCs on the internet."
That's six screens to get to a slide switch and/or radio button.
For privacy settings, it's Start --> Settings --> Privacy at which point your confronted with 13 different horizontal tabs, each of which has multiple settings for various privacy settings. The default for all of them is to allow sharing of privacy information, which includes account information, location, contacts and other sensitive information, with Microsoft and with third-party apps.
This is simply unacceptable. I'm a relatively sophisticated computer user, but it took me several days to go through each and every one of these settings. And, of course, NONE of this is disclosed during Windows 10 installation and some of it I found out only by accident while surfing internet articles about Win10.
Oct 1, 2015, 1:14 am
#585
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: in the vicinity of SFO
Programs: AA 2MM (LT-PLT, PPro for this year)
Posts: 19,781