Technology News You Can Use

[Brad]

The article was very short, only about 2 column inches.
There must be a article in the scientific literature though

 

[amirm]

I still remember the day I got a call from a recruiter asking me if I would go and work for Google. I could not hang up the phone fast enough thinking that nothing, nothing would unseat Yahoo which was as dominant as you could get on the Internet. In my defense , I did not count on so much incompetence on behalf of Yahoo to keep its assets relevant and make good decisions like accepting the offer from Microsoft a few years back.

Then they hired Marissa Mayer from Google. My thought was, "I wonder if I am really much more stupid than her to think this company can be turned around." I now feel good about being right about that . She did nothing for Yahoo and is the only winner by collecting the checks below.

Verizon has made its first decision on this from by renaming the company "Oath." Can't think of a more stupid name. And building a brand from scratch is going to be hard and expensive. If this keeps going, I expect what is left of Yahoo to shrink to nothing in a few years.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/13/technology/business/yahoo-verizon-deal-closes/index.html
End of an era: Yahoo is no longer an independent company
Verizon (VZ, Tech30) officially completed its deal to acquire Yahoo's (YHOO, Tech30) core Internet assets for $4.48 billion after months of uncertainty about the deal, both companies announced Tuesday.

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is resigning from the company. She will receive a $23 million severance package, according to an earlier company filing.

[...]

Yahoo originally offered a directory of websites to guide users through the new world of the Internet. It was almost synonymous with the Internet itself for much of the 1990s with a market value that topped $100 billion around the dot-com boom.

For the majority of its existence, however, Yahoo struggled to find relevance. It shuffled through CEOs, struggled with whether to be a media or technology company, and bet big on acquisitions like Geocities while passing up a chance to buy Facebook.

Under Mayer, Yahoo made one last push to prove it could be more than a fading Internet pioneer.

Mayer acquired dozens of startups for talent to compete with mobile apps. She also hired big name media personalities like Katie Couric and acquired Tumblr to reach a younger demographic. But these costly efforts did little to turnaround Yahoo's business.

 

[Brad]

From my point of view it looks like the difference between a tech company with tech at the core (google) and one that doesn't (yahoo)

 

[RayDunzl]

Flammable Cladding

 

[Thomas savage]

Flammable Cladding

Bit flippant ray given many have burnt to death in their homes.. it's horrific, with babies being thrown out of windows and people jumping from ten stories up.

 

[amirm]

Get ready for mandatory upgraded with Windows 10: https://www.engadget.com/2017/07/02/windows-10-will-notify-for-major-update/

Are you still running the original version of Windows 10? Microsoft is about to offer a not-so-subtle hint that it's time to move on. The software giant has revealed that it will start sending notifications to users who are still using Windows 10 version 1507, warning them that the operating system is deemed "end of service" and will no longer receive monthly security patches. You'll see a convenient button to upgrade to the latest release (at present, the Creators Update) if you're part of this group.

Yes, this is another instance of Microsoft steering Windows users toward upgrades they don't necessarily want. In this case, however, it's not surprising why Microsoft would get a little pushy. Outdated versions of Windows helped spread the recent spate of malware attacks, and Microsoft probably doesn't want to see another outbreak erupt simply because some users are skittish about OS upgrades. It's betting you'll be thankful for the nuisance if it keeps your PC safe in the long run.
​

 

[The Smokester]

I still remember the day I got a call from a recruiter asking me if I would go and work for Google. I could not hang up the phone fast enough thinking that nothing, nothing would unseat Yahoo which was as dominant as you could get on the Internet. In my defense , I did not count on so much incompetence on behalf of Yahoo to keep its assets relevant and make good decisions like accepting the offer from Microsoft a few years back.

Then they hired Marissa Mayer from Google. My thought was, "I wonder if I am really much more stupid than her to think this company can be turned around." I now feel good about being right about that . She did nothing for Yahoo and is the only winner by collecting the checks below.

Verizon has made its first decision on this from by renaming the company "Oath." Can't think of a more stupid name. And building a brand from scratch is going to be hard and expensive. If this keeps going, I expect what is left of Yahoo to shrink to nothing in a few years.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/13/technology/business/yahoo-verizon-deal-closes/index.html
End of an era: Yahoo is no longer an independent company
Verizon (VZ, Tech30) officially completed its deal to acquire Yahoo's (YHOO, Tech30) core Internet assets for $4.48 billion after months of uncertainty about the deal, both companies announced Tuesday.

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is resigning from the company. She will receive a $23 million severance package, according to an earlier company filing.

[...]

Yahoo originally offered a directory of websites to guide users through the new world of the Internet. It was almost synonymous with the Internet itself for much of the 1990s with a market value that topped $100 billion around the dot-com boom.

For the majority of its existence, however, Yahoo struggled to find relevance. It shuffled through CEOs, struggled with whether to be a media or technology company, and bet big on acquisitions like Geocities while passing up a chance to buy Facebook.

Under Mayer, Yahoo made one last push to prove it could be more than a fading Internet pioneer.

Mayer acquired dozens of startups for talent to compete with mobile apps. She also hired big name media personalities like Katie Couric and acquired Tumblr to reach a younger demographic. But these costly efforts did little to turnaround Yahoo's business.

I know a young superstar (daughter of friends) who got recruited when Mayer went to Yahoo. She was a Stanford and Harvard graduate who then tried to lure her classmates away from Google, Facebook and Microsoft but none would come. Eventually a bit over a year ago, she quit in frustration. It appears that Yahoo just couldn't compete for talent.

 

[Sal1950]

Get ready for mandatory upgraded with Windows 10: https://www.engadget.com/2017/07/02/windows-10-will-notify-for-major-update/

Are you still running the original version of Windows 10? Microsoft is about to offer a not-so-subtle hint that it's time to move on. The software giant has revealed that it will start sending notifications to users who are still using Windows 10 version 1507, warning them that the operating system is deemed "end of service" and will no longer receive monthly security patches. You'll see a convenient button to upgrade to the latest release (at present, the Creators Update) if you're part of this group.

Yes, this is another instance of Microsoft steering Windows users toward upgrades they don't necessarily want. In this case, however, it's not surprising why Microsoft would get a little pushy. Outdated versions of Windows helped spread the recent spate of malware attacks, and Microsoft probably doesn't want to see another outbreak erupt simply because some users are skittish about OS upgrades. It's betting you'll be thankful for the nuisance if it keeps your PC safe in the long run.
​

At least with this rolling release cycle in Win 10 you don't have to BUY the latest update. I'm actually quite surprised, the old business model of a new OS every few years with EOL/updates lockouts sold a ton of new computers since Joe Sixpack would (more often than not) butcher a new OS install. Good for commerce is how they refer to it in audio. LOL

 

[amirm]

I know a young superstar (daughter of friends) who got recruited when Mayer went to Yahoo. She was a Stanford and Harvard graduate who then tried to lure her classmates away from Google, Facebook and Microsoft but none would come. Eventually a bit over a year ago, she quit in frustration. It appears that Yahoo just couldn't compete for talent.

For years Yahoo has had a horrible reputation in the tech world. Everyone who was somebody left years ago. There are so many choices for jobs in silicon valley that the moment such a bad reputation develops, you are toast.

Ironically Mayer was not good to women either with her edict to end people working from home.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Get ready for mandatory upgraded with Windows 10: https://www.engadget.com/2017/07/02/windows-10-will-notify-for-major-update/

Are you still running the original version of Windows 10? Microsoft is about to offer a not-so-subtle hint that it's time to move on. The software giant has revealed that it will start sending notifications to users who are still using Windows 10 version 1507, warning them that the operating system is deemed "end of service" and will no longer receive monthly security patches. You'll see a convenient button to upgrade to the latest release (at present, the Creators Update) if you're part of this group.

Yes, this is another instance of Microsoft steering Windows users toward upgrades they don't necessarily want. In this case, however, it's not surprising why Microsoft would get a little pushy. Outdated versions of Windows helped spread the recent spate of malware attacks, and Microsoft probably doesn't want to see another outbreak erupt simply because some users are skittish about OS upgrades. It's betting you'll be thankful for the nuisance if it keeps your PC safe in the long run.
​

Outdated versions of Windows helped spread the recent spate of malware attacks(sourced courtesy of the NSA's efforts), and Microsoft probably doesn't want to see another outbreak erupt simply because some users are skittish about OS upgrades

There I fixed it for you.

I have the creator's update, and it is alright. Right now my main daily use machines are an Android phone (connect blue-tooth mouse, and keyboard, cast it to a larger screen), Chromebook, and mainly a Linux desktop. My two old laptops with Windows are for devices I can't run well enough on Linux which is mainly my recording interfaces.

Since I don't use those every day or sometimes even every week, it has become horribly frustrating to turn on a Windows machine. I know it will spend 20-30 minutes getting an essential security update during which the machine is so sluggish I can hardly use it. In a half hour I can actually use my machine for my own purposes.

I don't like Mac's way of herding you into their idea of software interfaces. I could adapt to it, and would have gone with them, but they are so damned expensive for mid-level hardware.

I have now gotten all my relatives onto Chromebooks or Chromeboxes and with their phones (some have iphones) they rarely have a problem. When they do it isn't too big a bother.

A close friend who is technically savvy, and a few years ago was an MCSE working in commercial network support recently had his MS machine break down via hardware. He was bouncing a few ideas off me about replacements. His opening statement was, "I don't see any reason a regular person can possibly need a Windows machine anymore. I certainly don't want one as it spends so much time updating and often those have a glitch requiring TLC to straighten out. Even though I know the TLC needed, I prefer not needing to know." I think that about sums it up.

To me unless the Windows machine is very recent, touching Windows for other people's problems ends up being like touching the tar baby.

 

[RayDunzl]

I guess I'm good til 2020...

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet

 

[Sal1950]

I guess I'm good til 2020...

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet

OHHHH, a whole 2 years and 5 months. LOL

I boot into my Dose 10 partition about once a week to run my Quicken software and THAT makes me feel dirty.

 

[Brad]

Personally, I'm very hesitant about leaving my raspberry Pi devices permanently on, as so many Linux based IoT devices are compromised and turned into bots

 

[SoundAndMotion]

Personally, I'm very hesitant about leaving my raspberry Pi devices permanently on, as so many Linux based IoT devices are compromised and turned into bots

If you're worried about Mirai or a similar exploit, change the default password. Mirai worked by looking for the 60 most common usernames and passwords.
If your Pi has Username-pi Password-raspberry
yes, you may be vulnerable. You should change at least the password to something reasonable (caps AND lowercase AND numbers AND symbols)(e.g. This_is_My_1st_Pi!), and then you should be as safe as anything else you might use, even leaving them always on.

Edit: Just checked - "pi" "raspberry" was not in the default Mirai list.

 

[Brad]

Yes I am aware that the passwords are the most common problem, but I am more worried that the raspberry Pi builds are not built with security as a priority.
How do you confirm that the passwords are hashed correctly, or some apps aren't exposing the system with open text, or poor web server implementations

 

[Old Listener]

Outdated versions of Windows helped spread the recent spate of malware attacks(sourced courtesy of the NSA's efforts), and Microsoft probably doesn't want to see another outbreak erupt simply because some users are skittish about OS upgrades

There I fixed it for you.

I have the creator's update, and it is alright. Right now my main daily use machines are an Android phone (connect blue-tooth mouse, and keyboard, cast it to a larger screen), Chromebook, and mainly a Linux desktop. My two old laptops with Windows are for devices I can't run well enough on Linux which is mainly my recording interfaces.

Since I don't use those every day or sometimes even every week, it has become horribly frustrating to turn on a Windows machine. I know it will spend 20-30 minutes getting an essential security update during which the machine is so sluggish I can hardly use it. In a half hour I can actually use my machine for my own purposes.


A close friend who is technically savvy, and a few years ago was an MCSE working in commercial network support recently had his MS machine break down via hardware. He was bouncing a few ideas off me about replacements. His opening statement was, "I don't see any reason a regular person can possibly need a Windows machine anymore. I certainly don't want one as it spends so much time updating and often those have a glitch requiring TLC to straighten out. Even though I know the TLC needed, I prefer not needing to know." I think that about sums it up.

To me unless the Windows machine is very recent, touching Windows for other people's problems ends up being like touching the tar baby.

I understand Microsoft's need to move customers to a service model. Their need doesn't align well with my family's needs. I think that Microsoft is going about things in the wrong way.

They are forcing users to accept large feature updates that users didn't ask for and don't benefit from. Those large updates tie up a PC for a long time and often disrupt settings a user has made. We have a laptop used mostly for travel. If we don't remember to boot that laptop a few days before we go on a trip, the laptop may be completely unusable on the trip. (A big Windows update over marginal motel WiFi is a nightmare.)

Microsoft should separate out the genuine security updates and send them out separately. That model worked well for Windows 7. They can even charge a modest amount for the security update service.

There are legitimate uses of a Windows PC for which you want to turn off all updates or control the timing of updates. I used a headless Windows 7 PC dedicated to audio for years. I was able to set it up to run without updates, logins or system modal dialogs. When I want to play music, I do not want to stop and spend 20 minutes dealing with some Windows caused grief. Microsoft should allow individual users with a good reason to fully control updates. I bought a copy of Windows 8.1 to install on a NUC for use as a dedicated (headless) music PC. I think that I'll be able to control updates and make it run without interruptions that require a monitor, keyboard and mouse. Right now, I'm running a Linux+JRiver Media Center package on that NUC. It works but JRiver hasn't put enough effort into design, debugging and documentation of that product. I have not set up that PC to run Win 8.1 yet but I will if necessary.

I spent decades writing s/w for the Windows platform and others. I'll be able to cope with this crap. I think that my wife would have to pay someone to take care of her PC.

The people making decisions at Microsoft are my enemies now. I read about their plans for major updates to see what problems they are going to cause. I read about early adopters troubles and hope that my updates will be delayed until Microsoft fixes the worst problems.

 

[amirm]

A lot of this has to do with internal culture of Microsoft. Thousands of people work on Windows, many of whom want to see their features released to the public. Every update then gets saddled with tons of arguing and fighting with the developers of features pushing at one extreme, and the others who want reliability, stability and easiness of their jobs at the other end.

When I was there, we had a decent solution. That is, some components were separated from Windows "Ship" vehicle and had a life of their own. Such was the division I managed with was digital media. We had full freedom to update our components, add features (or not), and make sure we stayed competitive with other companies who only competed in that area. When Steven Sinofsky took over Windows, he disbanded all of those groups and combined them in Windows. And with it, all of that independent innovation stopped. And ironically, the combined effort -- Windows 8.0 -- was a bust. That is the problem with putting all of your eggs in one basket. If that bet fails, the whole ship gets in trouble.

My group managed Windows Media Player as an example. If you look at it now in Windows 10, it is exactly how it was back in Windows Vista! All innovations in media has stopped because there is no independent group chartered with keeping it competitive.

And then we have the issue Old Listener is mentioned. Groups are crying loud enough to get their features into these yearly updates with no rhyme or reason. Creators update? What creators update? And who among is a "creator" anyway?

What is the role of the OS anyway? Don't we all spend 99% of our time inside browsers and a few apps like email? I remember mentioning this to Steve Ballmer (then CEO of Microsoft). That the OS simply needed to be stable and that was that. That new features were not needed or desired. His answer was, "if what you are saying is true, we are toast!" Toast is what happened.

There was a time when operating systems were primitive and new features were indeed much needed. Not today.

The creator update has destabilized my PC causing Chrome to completely hang. The problem is due to wireless adapter. If I just disconnect and reconnect, it comes back. Let's say that is a bug. What change did they make to make Chrome completely lock up? It won't even echo characters when this happens! Worse yet, my wife with a completely different computer has the exact same problem with this same update!

 

[amirm]

On Linux and the Pi, I am horrified by what is going there too. Just watch the boot messages. Thousands of lines of random garbage, diagnostic, debug messages fly by. Who has vetted any of that for security problems? Seems like any kind wakes up and dumps some code in that bin.

 

[amirm]

Speaking of Microsoft and in the rumor column: Kevin Turner was very much disliked when I was there. He had come from WalMart which is the antithesis of a company like Microsoft. I had no interactions with him though. It is ironic that a lot of people who criticized him may be axed! Be careful what you ask for as they saying goes.

https://techcrunch.com/2017/07/02/microsoft-is-laying-off-thousands-of-staff/

Microsoft is poised to layoff thousands of employees worldwide in a move to reorganize its salesforce.

A source with knowledge of the planned downsizing told TechCrunch that the U.S. firm would lay off “thousands” of staff across the world. The restructuring is set to include an organizational merger that involves its enterprise customer unit and one or more of its SME-focused divisions. The changes are set to be announced this coming week, we understand.

Microsoft declined to comment.

Earlier this weekend, the Puget Sound Business Journal, Bloomberg and The Seattle Times all reported ‘major’ layoffs related to a move to increase the emphasis on cloud services within Microsoft’s sales teams worldwide. Bloomberg said the redundancies would be “some of the most significant in the sales force in years.”


The reorganization looks to be a result of a change of leadership this past year. Executives Judson Althoff and Jean-Philippe Courtois took charge of Microsoft’s sales and marketing divisions following the exit of long-serving COO Kevin Turner last summer. Althoff, for one, has been public in his criticism of previous sales approaches, and he is keen to make Azure a central part of the focus.

At any rate, the time is right for change, historically. The end of Microsoft’s fiscal year typically falls in July, and it recent years it has been a time when the firm has announced headcount reductions.​

 

[Blumlein 88]

I understand Microsoft's need to move customers to a service model. Their need doesn't align well with my family's needs. I think that Microsoft is going about things in the wrong way.

They are forcing users to accept large feature updates that users didn't ask for and don't benefit from. Those large updates tie up a PC for a long time and often disrupt settings a user has made. We have a laptop used mostly for travel. If we don't remember to boot that laptop a few days before we go on a trip, the laptop may be completely unusable on the trip. (A big Windows update over marginal motel WiFi is a nightmare.)

Microsoft should separate out the genuine security updates and send them out separately. That model worked well for Windows 7. They can even charge a modest amount for the security update service.

There are legitimate uses of a Windows PC for which you want to turn off all updates or control the timing of updates. I used a headless Windows 7 PC dedicated to audio for years. I was able to set it up to run without updates, logins or system modal dialogs. When I want to play music, I do not want to stop and spend 20 minutes dealing with some Windows caused grief. Microsoft should allow individual users with a good reason to fully control updates. I bought a copy of Windows 8.1 to install on a NUC for use as a dedicated (headless) music PC. I think that I'll be able to control updates and make it run without interruptions that require a monitor, keyboard and mouse. Right now, I'm running a Linux+JRiver Media Center package on that NUC. It works but JRiver hasn't put enough effort into design, debugging and documentation of that product. I have not set up that PC to run Win 8.1 yet but I will if necessary.

I spent decades writing s/w for the Windows platform and others. I'll be able to cope with this crap. I think that my wife would have to pay someone to take care of her PC.

The people making decisions at Microsoft are my enemies now. I read about their plans for major updates to see what problems they are going to cause. I read about early adopters troubles and hope that my updates will be delayed until Microsoft fixes the worst problems.

I never was a software writer. I did have various functions using PCs and local networking. I was a MS booster. I feel MS grew because of people like me at least a little bit. Lots of free maintenance of their OS. Now you have hit it squarely on the head. The people making decisions at Microsoft are my enemies now. That is how it feels, and how it is. Sometimes can make you feel like you have been conned.

Two years ago my friends and family were getting close to being a part time job to keep their various Windows machines clean, functioning and fixed from glitches. MS did not make it easy either. I had mostly migrated to Linux for my needs long ago. Only for where I worked and for family did I keep involved with MS. It was then about 2 years ago when any significant hardware or even software upgrade came along my answer was, "let us see what you need, and which way we'll go to get away from Windows". So unless someone is a good friend and truly desperate, I don't do Windows. I suggest anything, but Windows when people ask about new hardware. And make sure they know if they get Windows don't call me.

And yes I certainly know the experience of a sometimes use laptop. You had better get it squared away in the few days before you need it. Or you might end up where you might as well not have it with you.

I suppose one thing I hate about it, is I end up feeling as if I have to prove the device or version of software is really mine, and I am up to no nefarious intent. Doing so is a bother, and in the way of using the OS. Yet despite all the bother, despite them kidnapping my machine when they wish, it still is by a wide margin the least secure most troublesome OS you can attempt to use.