Windows 8 – No Thank You – I’ll Pass!

Rudyard Kipling, in his Barrack-Room Ballads wrote – “East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet”, to describe the disconnect between two cultures – but, he might just as easily have been describing Microsoft’s attempt, with the development of Windows 8, to wed a Desktop/Laptop operating system and a Smartphone/Tablet operating system.

No doubt, Microsoft deserves a ton of credit for being adventuress and taking risks with the development of Windows 8. But, in re-imagining Windows “from the chipset to the user experience”, to quote Windows division president Steven Sinofsky – they have failed to meet their own target, which is, according to Microsoft – to give “users the same great experience whether they are on a tablet or on a desktop.” The experience, from my perspective is not so great.

Windows 8, developer preview (expires March 12, 2012) , was released yesterday for download and of course, I had to take the opportunity to test drive Microsoft’s latest OS offering. I’ve been running Windows 8 in a production environment for roughly 12 hours, so I’ve had an opportunity to develop some short term views.

The Windows 8 user interface is a radical departure from the traditional desktop UI and as such, it fails to satisfy my basic requirements. Since a desktop is my primary work unit, I have little interest in swiping features, keyboard shortcuts, slider menus and  an OS navigation system designed with a Tablet PC, or a Smartphone, in mind. As one of my friends observed – “ If I wanted my desktop to have the look and feel of a Tablet, I’d buy a Tablet.

Installation on a test system running Windows 7 (on which I kept settings), was smooth and flawless, with little user interaction required – much like a Win 7 install.

Following startup and login, the surprises came in bunches – starting with the new Metro GUI. Super on a Tablet, I expect – but on my desktop – Yuck!

All application can be viewed as tiles, and are reachable with the click of a mouse, or accessed with the touch of a finger. The desktop, (shown on the far left tile in this screen capture), has been reconfigured as an application.

The desktop (which I setup like my old Win 7 desktop), can also be accessed by cursoring to the left edge of the GUI – and voila! However, this is not an instinctive move.

To take full advantage of Windows 8, users will need to develop a solid background of mouse gestures, and keyboard shortcuts.

Keyboard shortcuts include –

Alt-F4 – closes applications.

Windows key – switch between GUI and running application.

Windows key + R brings up the Run dialog box.

The Start menu has been replaced by the following virtually useless abomination – just look at what’s missing here. Including access to – shutdown. What were these guys thinking!

Shutdown – Restart can be reached by clicking on Devices, which brings up the following – click on the power button and you’re out. In theory that is. Despite repeated attempts, I could not shutdown the system. I had no choice but to put the system into sleep mode.

Truthfully, I had to Google search “Windows 8 shutdown” to get a grip on the shutdown command – and, I can assure you, I was not alone. How sad is that in a new operating system.

In my attempt to become familiar with Windows 8 as quickly as possible, I found myself relying on Windows Explorer more than normal – only to find THE RIBBON, has been incorporated into this venerable piece of Windows.

This would have been a perfect opportunity for Microsoft to improve Windows Explorer with the addition of dual panes (very handy for geeks), but instead – we get the ribbon.

There’s little doubt that back behind the GUI, Windows 8 advances computing technology in a number of very substantial ways. Especially in that most important of areas – system security. But, this hybrid just doesn’t work for me.

Given that this is a developer preview, and at least one of the reasons for its general release is the feedback necessary to fine tune the system, I’m hoping to see a final product that more adequately reflects the “real” needs of desktop users.

In the meantime, within a day or two, Windows 8 on my test system will be deep sixed in favor of Windows 7 – in my view, the best Windows system to come out of Redmond.

If you are interested in checking out Windows 8 developer preview – you can download it here.

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Breadcrumbs Privacy Software 1.1.3.1 (Beta) Updated – Now With 64 Bit Support

Earlier this month, I ran a short test on Breadcrumbs Privacy Software (Beta) – Free Breadcrumbs Beta – Slaps Down Data Miners – which, according to the developer “……. automatically creates a Bogus Identity for you, thus preventing trackers from analyzing your real browsing information, leaving them with useless data.”

So, is this fair – is it OK to screw with so called “data miners”? Undoubtedly, you’ll make up your own mind on this – but, I won’t hesitate to state my opinion – “You’re damn right it is!”

Data miners, in an attempt to camouflage broad scale privacy intrusions, conveniently refer to their activities as predictive analytics, customer profiling, customer segmentation, predictive modeling, lifestyle clustering – yeah, right.

While predictive analytics, predictive modeling, etc. (you have to love how these guys paint privacy intrusions), may well be allowed under existing legislation – from a moral and ethical perspective, it’s reprehensible in my view.

Consider this – you’re cruising the Net and a tracker, or trackers, records every action you take, every motion you make –recording the type of sites you visit and revisit, time spent on sites, your shopping and spending habits, your political views, your marital status, and much more. All of this builds a profile of your browsing habits so that the data (your personal data), can be sold, bartered, and traded.

But don’t look for any sweeping legislative changes which will rein in these parasites any time soon. By and large, regulatory authorities have neither the moral courage, or the technical acumen (they simple fail to grasp the essence of the technology) necessary to enact appropriate consumer protection laws.

If you object to this type of intrusion into your privacy, then consider installing Breadcrumbs Privacy Software, and give these intrusive jerks the heave-ho. It may not be a perfect solution but, it’s a definite step in the right direction.

Fast facts:

Create your bogus identity – Breadcrumbs bogus Identity feature automatically creates a Bogus Identity for you, thus preventing trackers from analyzing your real browsing information, leaving them with useless data. Read more

The Do Not Track Me stamp – Once enabled, the Do Not Track Me stamp identifies you as a Breadcrumbs Protected User. It tells trackers that you do not wish to be tracked, and also lets them know that they will be fooled by your Bogus Identity in case they decide to track you anyway. Read more

Watchers Analytics – Breadcrumbs Watchers Analytics feature enables you to see who is watching you online. It’s an easy way to block ads and prevent trackers from tracking you across the Internet. Read more

Installation is simple and the application settings are limited, but effective. Click on the graphic to expand to original.

The dashboard will give you the opportunity to “watch the watchers” and block selectively. Click on the graphic to expand to original.

The most interesting feature of Breadcrumbs is the promise that it will build a “‘bogus identity” which will mislead watchers. Click on the graphic to expand to original.

According to the developer –

“In order for the feature to work it first needs to “learn the user” then it will synthesize what bogus data should be added in order to mask your real data and identity (so give it a few more hours/days). All of the learning process is encrypted and is done on the client-side, hence no one can see or use it but the software (and in the future you).”

In the following screen capture the expandable “Page Watcher” panel is shown – (shown expanded). This feature is selectable under “settings”. Click on the graphic to expand to original.

Current Version: 1.1.3.1 (Beta) – release date: May 24, 2011.

Changes in this version:

Bug fixes.

Better performance (CPU + RAM)

64 bit support.

Enhanced security to the automated Bogus browser.

Tray notifier which notifies when privacy protection analysis ended, and when a new software version is available.

Added the option to turn watchers blocking on and off through the Watchers Analytics Panel in your browser, this feature is very helpful in cases you are not sure if the page is not loaded correctly because a watcher is blocked (so you can just turn blocking off and see if that is the problem) – the panel appears in red in case blocking is turned off.

System Requirements: Windows XP, Vista and Win 7. Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 or above. (Breadcrumbs installer will alert you in case .NET Framework installation is needed)

Supported Web Browsers: Internet Explorer 7 or above. (including IE9). Firefox 3.6 or above. (including FF4). Google Chrome.

Download at: Developer’s site (Breadcrumb Solutions)

Breadcrumbs Usage and Demo: Video 2:26

I often hear from people who feel that since the information being mined is anonymous, no real invasion of privacy is taking place. While that may have been the case previously, that’s not the case currently.

Consider reading – Privacy: reidentification a growing risk.

Browser fingerprinting (a method used to identify you specifically) – Consider taking the Panopticlick test which analyses  your browser to see how unique it is based on the information it will share with sites it visits.

My test results:

Your browser fingerprint appears to be unique among the 1,546,722 tested so far. Currently, we estimate that your browser has a fingerprint that conveys at least 20.56 bits of identifying information.

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GoogleSharing Firefox Add-on – Stop Google’s Invasion of Your Privacy!

The campaign to convince people that the lack of personal privacy is of little concern to the average person, persists. Some pundits continue to enhance their careers by assuring us (at least those of us who will listen), that privacy, particularly Internet privacy, is dead and, we don’t care.

Consider these quotes from speakers at the Supernova conference, held this week in Philadelphia:

Jeff Jarvis, a blogger and media-industry pundit –

“I think we talk so much about privacy, privacy, privacy that we risk getting to the benefits of publicness (sic), that the Internet makes possible.”

Microsoft researcher, Danah Boyd –

“We have no definition of privacy.”

The only comment I’ll make regarding these two statements is – great sound bites, but BS nevertheless.

The most ludicrous statement I’ve heard regarding Internet privacy, comes from Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt –

“If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.”

This, from a person who’s company’s very existence is predicated on the   virtually raping of the public’s privacy, for commercial gain. I’m not a conspiracy theorist in any sense, but I do believe that the very structure of Google constitutes an attack on a basic human right – the right to be “left alone”.

Schmidt may be a “whiz bang” when it comes to search engines, but I suggest that he’s a dud when it comes to the psychology of human beings. The truth is, the realities of the world we now live in continue to emphasize; despite the fact you have may have done nothing wrong – you have everything to worry about.

Noted security guru Bruce Schneier, put it in relevant context when he said:

“Privacy protects us from abuses by those in power, even if we’re doing nothing wrong at the time of surveillance. If we are observed in all matters, we are constantly under threat of correction, judgment, criticism, even plagiarism of our own uniqueness.

We become children, fettered under watchful eyes, constantly fearful that — either now or in the uncertain future — patterns we leave behind will be brought back to implicate us, by whatever authority has now become focused upon our once-private and innocent acts. We lose our individuality, because everything we do is observable and recordable”.

The majority of my friends are extremely concerned with the inroads that governments, social websites, commercial enterprises, and most particularly Google, have made into their private lives. They’re obviously not unusual if one considers this:

Disk wipe utilities, disk cleaning utilities, and file shredding utilities, are among the most popular free downloads on the Internet.

Most web Browsers offer a private browsing mode.

Encryption software is often advertised as a way to protect private, personal, or sensitive files.

Anonymizer applications, such as Hotspot Shield, are advertised as a way to protect a user’s online identity.

While there are multiple uses for the software applications, or application options, described above, a primary use of such software is to ensure a certain level of privacy. Of course, if you’ve done nothing wrong you don’t need to use these applications, right?   🙂

Rather than using an anonymizer application, which in some cases can impact performance, there is another alternative, if you use Firefox as your Internet Browser – GoogleSharing.

GoogleSharing is a Firefox add-on developed by noted security expert Moxie Marlinspike, with one purpose in mind – preventing Google from tracking and retaining, user information.

The following graphics illustrate how this works.

Outbound search request:

Inbound search results:

Fast facts:

GoogleSharing is a custom proxy service.

Does not affect your non-Google traffic which it leaves completely untouched, un-redirected.

Combines search requests from many different users together, such that Google is not capable of telling what is coming from whom.

Each search request is assigned a unique identity.

Prevents Google from collecting information about you from services which don’t require a login.

Stops Google from tracking the user by IP address, Cookie, or any other identifying HTTP headers.

The system is completely transparent to the user. No special websites, no change to your work flow.

If you have any issues with Google retaining your user information, you should consider this add-on. Please be aware, I have not tested this add-on, and this post is for information purposes only.

For more information, visit: GoogleSharing

Download the add-on at: Mozilla

Additional resources related to privacy:

Electronic Privacy Information Center

Center for Democracy and Technology

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Repair Computer/Optimize System Performance – Free Evonsoft Computer Repair

System utilities that perform multiple tasks such as a cleaning the Registry, removing junk files, resolving privacy issues, and removing Spyware, can be intimidating to new or casual computer users. Generally, this type of user is often unfamiliar with both the technology itself, and the technical terms involved in using this type of application.

But Evonsoft Computer Repair, a one click advanced system utility for Windows that allows the user to safely remove spyware, clean the registry, sweep for privacy issues, and clean junk files with a single mouse click, has been designed with this category of user in mind.

While it’s true that more advanced users want/need much more control than a one click system utility provides, this sort of utility can be the ideal solution for a new user.

According to the developers, with one click Evonsoft Computer Repair will scan your computer and present a list of the errors found by the application. You will then have the option of cleaning each item individually, or allowing the application to repair the errors automatically.

In my own testing, I found that the application was extremely fast and that it worked as advertised. I did find however, that the lack of a clear explanation left me feeling slightly uncomfortable. I suspect that more advanced users might also feel the same way.

On the other hand, this lack of explanation might be the very feature that the new user will find most appealing about this application. Most new computer users, in my experience, don’t really want to know the details; they just want the job done.

If you’re a new, or casual computer user, this free application should meet your needs effectively.

Quick Facts:

• Scans and removes spyware and adware
• Cleans your System and should boost performance
• Repairs your PC and keeps it tuned
• Very easy to use
• Free – no adware, spyware, or viruses

System Requirements: Windows Vista, XP, 2000, and 2003 Server.

Download at: Download.com

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