| From: S. maltophilia | 8/28/2023 12:41:35 PM | | | | | | Microsoft wants you to help train its AI, on your dime, of course:
.......A physical-world analogy might be: “I’m giving you a car! It’s your car!! You need to insure it, maintain it, pay for gas (or electricity), repair any damage, and pay any taxes because it’s your car.” Makes sense. “Oh — one more thing. I get to use it whenever and however I want. But, because it’s your car, if my use causes any harm to anyone, you’ll be responsible for that. You’ll also be responsible for any speeding or parking tickets I may collect. By the way, that applies not just to my use, but to anyone else I allow to use it — and I plan to let millions of people use it. And I plan to charge them for it. Enjoy your new car! Here’s one set of keys; I’ll keep the other.”
The Revised Code of Conduct: Refreshing honesty or “verbiage” doesn’t mean what they think it means?
In the summary of changes, we’re advised that “In the Code of Conduct section, we added verbiage to govern the use of AI services.” Brittanica defines “verbiage” as “speech or writing that contains too many words or that uses words that are more difficult than necessary.”
Let’s assume that Microsoft is being honest. (Surely it still has a copy of Microsoft Bookshelf [1993.......
askwoody.com |
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| From: Don Green | 8/31/2023 9:09:26 AM | | | | | | 10 Common Passkey Questions and Their Answers, Straight from Dashlane’s Chief Product Officer
Donald HassonJune 22, 2023
Passwords come with a host of problems: Without a password manager, they’re often weak and prone to being phished, and the average person must create and memorize dozens or hundreds of them. Passkeys are a newer, better way to sign in that could eventually replace passwords forever. They’re based on the WebAuthn standard created by the FIDO Alliance, which includes board members Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Dashlane.
Passkeys represent an incredible advancement in the identity space. However, they’re still so new that there are many questions. We’ve created this post as a resource for all questions related to passkeys and passwordless authentication, and we’ll be updating it regularly.
What does “passwordless” mean?
Passwordless refers to securely authenticating into a digital service without a password. Today, instead of typing a password, users can authenticate with their device's biometrics (like a fingerprint), SSO, or hardware keys to securely access a website or app.
What are passkeys?
Passkeys are a phishing-resistant replacement for passwords that provide faster and more secure sign-ins to websites and apps across a user’s devices.
How do passkeys work?
Passkeys simplify the login experience. In contrast to a password that needs to be remembered or typed, once a passkey is created, the device saves the passkey and completes the login with your biometric features or device PIN. Unlike passwords, passkeys are based on public key cryptography, which guarantees that they are always strong and unique.
How will passkeys make it easier for me to access accounts online?
Passkeys don't require tracking, changing, or resetting. When you use passkeys, there is nothing you have to think about or remember to access your accounts.
Your device, or a password manager, automatically stores all your passkeys and knows exactly which passkey to use for each site and device you're on. After your device or password manager suggests the correct passkey, you can use your device PIN, face scan, or fingerprint to complete the login quickly.
How will passkeys ensure the security of my online accounts?
Passkeys are designed to be unique to each website and encrypted on your device to protect against cyber threats. Unlike passwords, passkeys are resistant to threats and designed to keep your account secure and free from risks such as phishing, hacking, and reuse. They’re also not vulnerable to being stolen in a data breach because any information about passkeys stored on a server somewhere in the cloud is of no value to an attacker.
You can use Dashlane to save and sign in to websites and apps with passkeys on devices running Android 14 beta, and soon, on iOS 17.
I use biometrics for Dashlane today. Am I already using passkeys?
You can login to Dashlane using biometric features on your device. However, this doesn’t mean you’re using passkeys to log into Dashlane. This is simply a way to securely remember your Dashlane account credentials on your device.
Why would I need a password manager to store passkeys?
The primary reason you would benefit from using a password manager for passkeys is that it will seamlessly work across platforms.
Passkeys stored in a platform ecosystem work well within that ecosystem. For example, you can create passkeys on an iPhone, where they get synced with iCloud Keychain, and then use them on your Mac laptop.
However, if you try to use passkeys across platforms, then the login experience is not as smooth. For example, passkeys created on an iPhone will work on a Microsoft laptop, but this relies on specific device ownership and a clunky QR code process.
If you use a third party like Dashlane, it will be easier to use passkeys across platforms, liberating you from any ecosystem constraints of clunky UX.
Can I use one passkey on multiple sites and apps?
The short answer is no. Passkeys are designed to be unique for every website. This 1:1 relationship between the passkey and the website minimizes the risk of login attempts on phishing websites: For instance, mail.google.com versus mail.gooogle.com.
What happens if I lose the device that has the passkey to a site?
Losing a device doesn’t automatically mean you’ve lost your passkeys. If you lose your device, you’ll use the same methods you use to recover your account based on the guidelines provided by the service or device provider. For example, if you lose your Apple device, you simply log into a new iPhone with your iCloud account and recover your account.
How long before passkeys replace passwords?
Currently, the adoption of passkeys is in its early stages. Some companies are beginning to offer passkeys alongside traditional passwords, allowing users to select the added convenience of using them alternatively as a primary or secondary login method. However, passkeys are expected to eventually become the primary authentication method, and a passwordless model will be the standard choice for secure authentication.
Passkeys are easy to use, and the security behind them is robust—and even better than passwords. Whether you’re an early adopter or you’re waiting for passkeys to be a bit more mainstream, Dashlane is here to help you understand the tech and log in with ease. |
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| From: Don Green | 8/31/2023 10:11:42 AM | | | | | | Microsoft is using malware-like pop-ups in Windows 11 to get people to ditch Google
Tom WarrenAug 30, 2023
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24435315/STK150_Bing_AI_Chatbot_01.jpg) Illustration: The Vergenone
I thought I had malware on my main Windows 11 machine this weekend. There I was minding my own business in Chrome before tabbing back to a game and wham a pop-up appeared asking me to switch my default search engine to Microsoft Bing in Chrome. Stunningly, Microsoft now thinks it’s ok to shove a pop-up in my face above my apps and games just because I dare to use Chrome instead of Microsoft Edge.
This isn’t a normal notification, either. It didn’t appear in the notification center in Windows 11, nor is it connected to the part of Windows 11 that suggests new features to you. It’s quite literally a rogue executable file that has somehow appeared in c:\windows\temp\mubstemp and is digitally signed by Microsoft.
“We are aware of these reports and have paused this notification while we investigate and take appropriate action to address this unintended behavior,” says Caitlin Roulston, director of communications, in a statement to The Verge.
The latest Bing popup appeared above the taskbar on Windows 11.Screenshot by Tom Warren / The Vergenone
This annoying popup even appeared above a game.Screenshot by Tom Warren / The Vergenone
I have no idea why Microsoft thinks it’s ok to fire off these pop-ups to Windows 11 users in the first place. I wasn’t alone in thinking it was malware, with posts dating back three months showing Reddit users trying to figure out why they were seeing the pop-up.
I’m sure Microsoft is legally covered by the myriad of license agreements that nobody reads, but in reality I never knowingly consented to Microsoft abusing its ability to analyze my PC usage to show me a Bing pop-up just because I use Chrome with Google search.
This isn’t Microsoft’s first rodeo, either. I’m growing increasingly frustrated by the company’s methods of getting people to switch from Google and Chrome to Bing and Edge. Microsoft has been using a variety of prompts for years now, with pop-ups appearing inside Chrome, on the Windows taskbar, and elsewhere. Microsoft has even forced people into Edge after a Windows Update, and regularly presents a full-screen message to switch to Bing and Edge after updates.
Microsoft also started taking over Chrome searches in Bing recently to deliver a canned response that looks like it’s generated from Microsoft’s GPT-4-powered chatbot. The fake AI interaction produced a full Bing page to entirely take over the search result for Chrome and convince Windows users to stick with Edge and Bing.
Microsoft even took over Chrome search results in Bing recently.Screenshot by Sean Hollister / The Vergenone
You’ve probably never seen this latest pop-up or even some of the ones in the past, and that’s because Microsoft only experiments with a small number of Windows users before there’s an outcry and the company pivots to try and find another way to nag Windows users. Microsoft even had to backtrack on plans to force the Chrome default search to Bing for businesses installing its Office apps.
You might argue that this is Microsoft’s operating system, or that when using Microsoft’s browser and search engine it’s well within its rights to try and sway people away from Chrome. After all, Google runs similar notifications on its webpages to get people to use Chrome or it’s annoying YouTube premium spam. But Microsoft’s behaviors here are totally beyond a simple webpage prompt. I shouldn’t have to be dismissing pop-ups that appear on top of my apps and games, or ones that magically appear after I update my copy of Windows.
Windows isn’t freeware, it requires a license that almost every consumer ultimately pays for. That could be in the form of the price of a laptop that has a Windows OEM license baked in, or a product key if you built your own PC. Microsoft should respect the fact that people already pay for Windows and don’t want ads shoved down their throats. Windows is an important productivity tool for many people, and shouldn’t be treated like a cheap streaming box loaded with ads.
I truly hope Microsoft changes its ways here, but this has been going on in several different forms for years now so I’m just counting the days until the next annoying pop-up appears.
theverge.com |
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| From: S. maltophilia | 8/31/2023 6:05:57 PM | | | | | | Voice Deepfakes Are Coming for Your Bank Balance
Artificial intelligence tools have given scammers a potent weapon for trying to trick people into sending them money.
This spring, Clive Kabatznik, an investor in Florida, called his local Bank of America representative to discuss a big money transfer he was planning to make. Then he called again.
Except the second phone call wasn’t from Mr. Kabatznik. Rather, a software program had artificially generated his voice and tried to trick the banker into moving the money elsewhere.
Mr. Kabatznik and his banker were the targets of a cutting-edge scam attempt that has grabbed the attention of cybersecurity experts: the use of artificial intelligence to generate voice deepfakes, or vocal renditions that mimic real people’s voices.
The problem is still new enough that there is no comprehensive accounting.......
nytimes.com
dnyuz.com |
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| From: Don Green | 9/1/2023 10:00:50 AM | | | | | | Everything you need to know about Windows 12 including features, pricing, and release date
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Everyone knows the pain and anxiety of an operating system (OS) upgrade. After clicking the fateful dialogue box, your entire digital life is briefly thrown into limbo. If something goes wrong mid-upgrade, you’re in for a painful time. And even if it’s successful, you can never be 100% certain that every app, driver, and plugin will work on the new system.
So, it’s perhaps understandable if you’re still rocking Windows 10 on your computer – despite Microsoft’s nagging to upgrade to Windows 11.
And that’s why we have good news and bad. The good news is Microsoft will stop nagging you about Windows 11 in the not-too-distant future. The bad news is that’s because Windows 12 looks set to arrive next year at the very soonest.
The first signs of Microsoft’s plans for what’s next are starting to emerge – with a new version of Windows expected as early as next year. What might we expect in the next version of Windows?
Will Windows 12 be more than a lick of paint? Microsoft will obviously need to set Windows 12 apart from its predecessors in a visual sense, and we’re already getting hints of what it might look like.
One screenshot that appears to have been inadvertently shared at a Windows Ignite developer conference showed the taskbar at the bottom of the screen floating, instead of remaining anchored to the bottom of the display. Floating at the top of the screen, Windows 12 displayed the time, weather, connection status, battery life, and search box – suggesting a more phone or tablet-like interface.
The more significant changes will probably take place under the hood in response to the Cambrian explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) powered apps that have emerged over the past few months.
“I suspect Microsoft will go hard on ‘AI’ features as part of the next major version of Windows,” says Zac Bowden, senior editor at our sister outlet, Windows Central – who is one of the best-connected people on the Windows beat.
Bowden speculates it could be AI predicting what apps or shortcuts you may need next, based on what you’re currently looking at on screen, such as Windows spotting you’re emailing someone and mentioning you need to send wedding invitations and having Windows suggest the Microsoft Designer app in the Start Menu.
“You might also see smart enhancements to existing features like Snap Assist, remembering which apps you frequently snap together, for example,” says Bowden.
How will Windows 12 be structured?Perhaps the biggest change we can expect from future Windows is a significant change to how the OS is structured. Instead of being packaged as a one-size-fits-all system, an internal Microsoft project called “CorePC” is working on breaking Windows into its constituent parts so it can work on a more modular basis across different form factors – in a revived attempt at doing what the abandoned Windows 10X failed to do so.
It means, for example, we could see future versions of Windows running on tablets or foldables running ARM processors that are capable of running many ‘full-sized’ Windows apps, without the need to build in support for ‘legacy’ Windows apps that date back to stone-aged versions of the operating system.
The other major innovation, as reported by Bowden, is the CorePC versions of Windows will also be “state separated”, meaning apps will work a little more like iPad apps, which are restricted to only certain parts of the system – enhancing security and privacy.
Will Windows 12 be more flexible?Potentially making Windows more flexible is arguably something of a row-back from the intentions of CEO Satya Nadella when he first took over from Steve Ballmer in 2014.
In his first few years, he reorganized the company to promote the company’s booming Azure business, and abandoning the Ballmer-era strategy of having ‘Windows’ on every device – with the release of Office on iPad as the totemic example of this shift in mindset.
It was a strategic shift characterized by the influential technology analyst Ben Thompson in 2018 as “The End of Windows”. Could the renewed push towards the modular CorePC concept signal that getting Windows everywhere again is back on the agenda?
“Windows is never going to go away,” says Bowden. “It's certainly a legacy product but Windows' legacy is what makes it a viable product for so many people. Enterprises will never drop Windows, and gamers will never drop Windows.”
That’s why Microsoft still envisages a world where it remains competitive with iPadOS and Android on mainstream devices. “The PC industry is huge, and there's no alternative for Dell, HP, Lenovo, et cetera, to adopt,” says Bowden. “Chrome OS isn't good enough to replace Windows, and macOS isn't licensable. Current Windows leadership is trying to reposition Windows as a flagship OS platform for the masses, and I suspect that will continue with Windows 12.”
itpro.com
When will Microsoft release Windows 12? Although Windows 12 is in development, Microsoft hasn’t officially indicated when its next flagship OS will be ready for businesses to use.
Microsoft intends to ship major versions of Windows every three years, according to Windows Central, meaning, if true, Windows 12 will see the light of day at some point in 2024.
This would track with the release cycle of previous versions of Windows – with the expectation of Windows 11, which was released six years after Windows 10, rather than the three years between Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.
As with all versions of Windows – and all major feature updates to Windows – those on the Windows Insider program will have the chance to test Windows 12 in various phases before general release. This will likely go on for months before general rollout.
How much will Windows 12 cost?Much like Windows 11, there’s every chance Microsoft will offer Windows 12 as a free optional update once it’s ready to be shipped. Windows 10 users may also be offered the free upgrade, alongside Windows 11 users.
Microsoft will, however, likely charge a premium for customers who wish to buy the OS, rather than upgrading an existing installation. Windows 11 Home costs $139/£119.99 and Windows 11 Pro costs $199.99/£219.99, meaning Windows 12 will likely be priced at the same price – or around that price point – once it’s ready to be released. |
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| From: Don Green | 9/1/2023 11:32:55 AM | | | | | | Help Needed
Can someone who has never played with their page setting on SI go to those settings and screen cap or cut and past what the default settings are for their page.
Go to Tools section next to their people marks on the home page and then clink click on settings
Seen here and tell me are the numbers and letter shown in Page background Thanks Don
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| To: Don Green who wrote (1369) | 9/1/2023 3:32:43 PM | | From: Bob | | | | I have a third row - Batch message-read size 100
Page Background color(I don't think I have ever changed it) - FCFCFC
EDIT: Ron just posted background color as FFFFFF
So I guess I must have changed it, but my eyes cannot tell the difference! |
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