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Concerned about online privacy? So is Microsoft’s Peter Cullen. Actually, it’s his job.

There’s a new article and interview up on Microsoft PressPass with my friend and fellow Canuck Peter Cullen from Microsoft on Data Privacy Day & online privacy. (Also available at http://tinyurl.com/pcullen013009.)  The kids are in school today… did I miss a bank holiday somewhere?

When asked about some of the recent research on the concept of online privacy and the threats to online consumer safety, Peter had this to say…

"One big thing was that, while many consumers are very concerned about protecting online privacy, they typically have only a surface understanding of the threats they face. People take basic steps such as using spam filters, deleting cookies and installing anti-virus software, but they’re not necessarily aware of what these technologies do.

"People also have a perception that once their information is online, there isn’t much they can do to protect it. Many people aren’t aware of the controls they have, such as the ability to opt out of behaviorally targeted advertising or new tools in Internet browsers.

"In addition, specific concerns and risks change depending on how people use the Internet. For example, threats to privacy stemming from social networking sites are a large concern for young people and, increasingly, middle-aged professionals. Online finance issues, meanwhile, may affect older people more.

"What these findings tell us is that we must do more to educate consumers. People are making privacy decisions all the time and may not even know it. They must have the right resources from industry, government and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), so they can better educate themselves about privacy, threats to personal information and ways to safely navigate online. Much like a medical condition: consumers need to understand how the illness occurs, instead of just what medicine to take."

Back in 2007, Microsoft commissioned a survey to find out more about consumers’ awareness of online fraud and how to avoid being scammed and found that…

  • Nearly one out of five surveyed has been a victim of at least one Internet scam.
  • Of those people, 81 percent admitted they did something that led to the crime, such as opening an e-mail that appeared to be from a legitimate person or company.
  • Over half of respondents (58 percent) admitted they had little to no knowledge of current online threats and scams.

Pretty amazing results.

As noted in my post on Cybersafety and staying safe online, I recall from this article in the Seattle Times on cybersafety which included six tips for staying safe online:

  1. Protect your privacy and personal information
  2. Be alert online
  3. Delete junk e-mail
  4. Use strong passwords
  5. Use antivirus software and a firewall
  6. Be smart about downloading

Additional information:

As noted in the article, "Microsoft commissioned focus group research to determine which privacy issues are most important to consumers. The findings were captured in a short documentary that will be screened prior to the panel to inform the discussion. The video is available on Microsoft’s Data Privacy Day Web Site (http://microsoft.com/dataprivacyday)."

[Added 3:37PM] To answer my friend, Charles’, question…

"The 43% increase [cited in the article] in malware removed in the first 1/2 CY 08 – is that number collected from MSFT apps like Defender & services like OneCare or an industry number?"

This is from the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report volume 5 (covering the first half of calendar2008) and is available here for download from microsoft.com. 

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Curious about the next Microsoft Windows 7 beta or release date?

Are you participating in an office pool, wondering when Windows 7 will be released? 

Sorry, keep wondering.

This from Steven Sinofsky last night on Our Next Engineering Milestone, after offering a summary of the various product release points…

"The obvious question is that we know the Pre-Beta was October 28, 2008, and the Beta was January 7th, so when is the Release Candidate and RTM? The answer is forthcoming. We are currently evaluating the feedback and telemetry and working to develop a robust schedule that gets us the right level of quality in a predictable manner. Believe me, we know many people want to know more specifics. We’re on a good path and we’re making progress. We are taking a quality-based approach to completing the product and won’t be driven by imposed deadlines. We have internal metrics and milestones and our partners continue to get builds routinely so even when we reach RC, we are doing so together as partners. And it relies, rather significantly, on all of you testing the Beta and our partners who are helping us get to the finish line together.

"The next milestone for the development of Windows 7 is the Release Candidate or "RC". Historically the Release Candidate has signaled "we’re pretty close and we want people to start testing the release, especially because all the features are done."

More is available on the blog.

Of interest to many: Steven provides definitions for the terms used to denote the various releases during the product development process:

  • Pre-Beta – This release at the PDC introduced the developer community to Windows 7 and represents the platform complete release and disclosure of the features.
  • Beta – This release provided a couple of million folks the opportunity to use feature complete Windows 7 while also providing the telemetry and feedback necessary for us to validate the quality, reliability, compatibility, and experience of Windows 7. As we said, we are working with our partners across the ecosystem to make sure that testing and validation and development of Windows 7-based products begins to enter final phases as we move through the Beta.
  • Release Candidate (RC) – This release will be Windows 7 as we intend to ship it. We will continue to listen to feedback and telemetry with the focus on addressing only the most critical issues that arise. We will be very clear in communicating any changes that have a visible impact on the product. This release allows the whole ecosystem to reach a known state together and make sure that we are all ready together for the Release to Manufacturing. Once we get to RC, the whole ecosystem is in “dress rehearsal” mode for the next steps.
  • Release to Manufacturing (RTM) – This release is the final Windows 7 as we intend to make available to PC makers and for retail and volume license products.
  • General Availability (GA) – This is a business milestone and represents when you can buy Windows 7 pre-installed on PCs or as full packaged product.

Also of interest:

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AMD on Netbooks, besting Google, Windows 7 benchmarks, Carol Bartz to analysts, the 8-monitor computer and what else I’ve recently read

As I wait for IE8 to restart <grr> and prep for a phone call, here’s a quick list of what I’ve read in the last few weeks.

What would it take to beat Google? | Webware – CNET — January 22, 2009 3:12 PM PST Posted by Don Reisinger — "The search engine space is filled with a slew of companies that are vying to become the next Google. What is the "next Google"?

If you read my post on lower cost Netbooks and the case for a Revitalized Notebook, you’ll see that I don’t necessarily agree with AMD’s CEO who said that he sees Netbooks going away (from The Circuits Blog on CNET News).  As posted by Brooke Crothers, "Advanced Micro Devices’ chief executive predicts that Netbooks will eventually disappear. This thinking, though obviously favorable to AMD’s strategy, isn’t completely at odds with Intel’s.

"The distinction between what is a Netbook and what is a notebook is going to go away," AMD CEO Dirk Meyer said Thursday in the company’s earnings conference call."

OK, keep telling yourself that.  I recall being told once that the dual floppy drives on my Macintosh 128K was all the storage I needed, and that a 20MB hard drive was overkill, too.

Cooking: Make Your Own No-Knead Pizza Dough by Adam Pash, 3:30 PM on Thu Jan 22 2009, 1,822 views — "Love a good homemade pizza but don’t have time or energy for all that kneading? Food culture web site TastingTable offers a simple, foolproof recipe for no-knead pizza dough."

Windows 7 put up against Vista and XP in hardcore multicore benchmarks, XP wins – Engadget by Nilay Patel, posted Jan 22nd 2009 at 6:52PM — "Now that the Windows 7 beta is out, the benchmarks are coming fast and furious, and while 7’s been previously found to best XP and Vista during "real-world" tasks, it looks like XP is still the outright speed champ on current hardware."

GOP, Dems spar over broadband ‘stimulus’ and FCC powers | Politics and Law – CNET News, January 22, 2009 5:00 PM PST, Posted by Stephanie Condon — WASHINGTON– "Tempers flared as a key House committee on Thursday pored over tech-related portions of a massive and expensive so-called stimulus package, with Democrats downplaying the lack of any hearings and Republicans calling the rush to a vote the same day an "abomination." 

Yes, Microsoft is still hiring – Microsoft JobsBlog — Posted Thursday, January 22 2009 by The JobsBloggers — "As you’ve probably seen in the headlines today, there are changes happening at Microsoft including some job eliminations. In case you are wondering … Yes, Microsoft is still hiring with a focus on our most important business priorities and areas of opportunity and growth."

HRBot: Human Resource Robot That Spiders Your Social Profile — Posted by admin in Social Media on 01 21st, 2009 — "Finally I was convinced by a friend that I should join twitter. Of course, I had heard all the good things about twitter but I had no idea there was so much potential. As you can imagine, like million others I got hooked and so far have spent quite a few time mingling and searching for twitter profiles. As I was going through some twitter profiles I found many corporate twitter profiles out there."

Should HR advise managers to sack poor performers or help them improve? 29 May 2007 (This article first appeared in Personnel Today magazine.) "Should HR advise managers to cull less-effective staff, or work with them to improve performance? Alex Blyth considers the arguments. Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer caused a stir last year when he announced to the Institute of Directors conference that he culls one in every 15 employees every year. He suggested that all businesses, large and small, would benefit from such an approach."

Carol Bartz’s Greatest Hits (YHOO) Henry Blodget | January 14, 2009 9:54 AM — "We love CEOs who tell it like it is. Yahoo’s new CEO Carol Bartz appears to be one of them. "Here are some of Carol’s greatest hits, most drawn from this glowing 2004 Business 2.0 profile: "On the press’s fixation with Yahoo: Give the company some “friggin’ breathing room”

Google Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2008 Results: Business Wire Business News – MSN Money

Digital TV: Consumer Reports Electronics Blog and ratings of DTV converter boxes. Within groups by picture quality, in order of price. Models highlighted in green reflect the most recent ones tested as of November 2008

See the review and info on the Dish Network DTVPal Digital To Analog TV Converter Box Review, Rating, and Comparison.  The Dish Network DTVPal has now been upgraded to the Dish Network TR-40 CRA. The only difference between the two is that the TR-40 CRA sells four about $15 less than the DTVPal. If you were considering it go ahead and get the Dish Network TR-40 CRA instead. Also see DTVPal by DISH Network

Resurrection of Windows begins – TechFlash: Seattle’s Technology News Source By Todd Bishop on January 22, 2009 at 1:16 PST "The buzz about Windows 7 has been mostly positive since Microsoft released the first beta of the upcoming operating system a couple weeks ago. And today, two highly influential technology reviewers sealed the deal with largely complimentary reviews of Windows 7 — further improving the company’s chances of bouncing back from Windows Vista’s public-relations debacles."

TV’s Digital Transition Doesn’t Have to Cause Headaches (The Washington Post) By Rob Pegoraro, January 22, 2009 — "The transition from analog to digital television may have inflicted more confusion on the American public than any other electronic upgrade in history. No other technological switch — not going from Windows XP to Vista, not migrating from CDs to MP3s, not trading in maps for GPS guidance — seems to have puzzled, frightened and in some cases angered so many people. "That’s a shame, because most people need not touch a thing on their TVs when almost all analog broadcasts vanish from the airwaves Feb. 17. (Even this late in the game, that deadline could be pushed back.)"

Bedlam breaks out at Circuit City | Nanotech – The Circuits Blog – CNET News Posted by Brooke Crothers, January 17, 2009 8:15 PM PST — "After Best Buy mega-stored Circuit City to oblivion, the hapless retailer has quickly gone to pieces. "On Friday, Circuit City said it was liquidating all of its stores. Then, on Saturday, there was a big liquidation sale at my local Circuit City–up to 30 percent off. The checkout line was almost as long as the lines you encounter on a typical Saturday at Fry’s–the mostly California- and Texas-based sprawling electronics warehouse. (The line actually snaked to the back of the store.)"

SketchUp: Why Kids With Autism Love It | Newsweek Health | Newsweek.com By Claudia Kalb, Newsweek, Jan 16, 2009 – "Science is rich with happy flukes. Remember the story of penicillin? Alexander Fleming discovered the bacteria-destroying mold by accident when he left a culture dish uncovered in his lab in 1928. Eight decades later, here’s another one: a Googlesoftware program called SketchUp, which was intended largely for architects and design professionals, has found a very unexpected and welcome fan base—children with autism."

Also read Awaiting Microsoft’s cuts | Beyond Binary – CNET News January 21, 2009 8:27 AM PST "The uncertainty surrounding Microsoft’s cost-cutting plan is likely to last only another day, until the software maker announces earnings Thursday. That’s when many people expect the company will detail its plans, which will likely include the company’s first-ever companywide layoffs. In the absence of hard facts, the guessing game goes on. I was fond of Todd Bishop’s post at TechFlash on "Five things we really wouldn’t miss" if Microsoft cut them."

And speaking of What should Microsoft cut? Five things we wouldn’t really miss – TechFlash: Seattle’s Technology News Source  — Todd Bishop on January 20, 2009 at 6:11 PST — "It’s shaping up as a tough week for Steve Ballmer & Co. as Microsoft prepares to release its quarterly earnings Thursday afternoon. Even if the company bucks the trend and posts decent results, investors will want to know how Microsoft will keep expenses down, and profit margins up, if the recession deepens in the coming months." 

FIRST LOOK: New View Of The Inauguration By Donald R. Winslow © 2009 News Photographer magazine WASHINGTON, DC (January 20, 2009) – In a new view of an American Presidential Inauguration that’s never been shot or seen before, photographer Chuck Kennedy from the McClatchy-Tribune Photo Service today made this image of President Barack Obama taking the oath of office as the 44th President of the United States. (More story beneath the photograph.)

A diversion: Obamicon.Me – Create Your Obamicon – Flash Player Installation

ChaCha CEO Has Pretty Damn Sweet 8-Monitor Computer "Scott Jones, the CEO of human powered voice/sms search engine ChaCha (our recent coverage), has one of the awesomest computer setups I’ve seen. "It can be seen, along with everything else in his house, in this MTV Teen Cribs video (also embedded below) that focuses on his fifteen year old son. For the computer, jump to the 3:25 mark. "They don’t say anything about the processor, but the guy has an eight-screen (Dell) setup and stationary bike pedals to get exercise while working."

Live Presentations: What an Online Office Suite Should Look Like – ReadWriteWeb Written by Frederic Lardinois / January 21, 2009 11:20 AM — "The current crop of online office suites from Google, Zoho, or ThinkFree is quite usable, but most of these products still feel very limited compared to the power of Microsoft’s Office products."

Select Flickr users begin to get Getty invites – CNET January 21, 2009 11:25 AM PST — Posted by Josh Lowensohn — "The partnership between Flickr and Getty Images is finally moving forward. Early Wednesday the Yahoo-owned photo-sharing service announced that invitations from Getty have been going out in high numbers. Some members who have had one or more of their images chosen to be on Getty’s sale site could have gotten notice as early as last week. "

Tags: articles, what I read, blogs.

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Of interest: House defeats (and then approves) bill to postpone the digital television transition. Consumer feedback much?

Update, 1:39PM PAC: The House voted to delay the DTV transition today, and the President is likely to sign the legislation.


As noted here, the As Kim Hart, Staff Writer for the Washington Post noted in her article today, Technical Difficulties: Switch to Digital TV May Not Be as Smooth as Advertised, many consumers are impacted by the transition to digital television (as I noted noted previously).  Customers find that simply using a converter box isn’t always enough to get reliable TV signals.


I noted today (as the Washington Post’s Kim Hart reported) that the House defeated bill to postpone transition to digital television broadcasting (as noted here), not getting the to-thirds majority needed to approve the measure.


What are they thinking?


As Reuters reported today…



Consumers groups have been pushing the effort to delay the transition date to June 12 from February 17, worried that 20 million mostly poor, elderly and rural households are not ready for the congressionally mandated switch.


“It’s really unfortunate,” said Joel Kelsey, an analyst at Consumers Union. “Consumers are staring at a big, fat, unfunded mandate in the midst of an economic crisis.”


More than one million people are on a waiting list for $40 government coupons to subsidize the cost of converter boxes needed by those with older televisions. The agency that runs the program ran out of coupons earlier this month.


Reuters notes that the item may come up again next week with a rule requiring simple majority passage.


Want to know how your representative voted?  Check out the role call for this vote.  I’m sending mail to my representative today.


IMHO, our elected representatives could allow the transition to go ahead as planned on Feb. 17 but amend the legislation allowing for a delay – a grace period – to the complete transition.  Such a “roll over period” (perhaps an additional 90 to 150 days) would allow for the processing and distribution of digital STB coupons and migration of those who have yet to make the change.


During this period, both digital and older analog signals would available, and those consumers who have not made the transition to digital should see not only the channel displayed but a rolling warning notice that their ability to view the television station they’re watching will end unless they immediately migrate to digital equipment.


Tags: Windows, Media Center, television, DVR, Obama, policy.


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Announcement: Internet Explorer 8 release candidate is now available online

Back from a meeting and just saw on the IE blog that the release candidate for Internet Explorer 8 is now available, so says my friend Dean Hachamovitch…

"We’re excited to make the IE8 Release Candidate available today for public download today in 25 languages for Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server customers. You can find it at http://www.microsoft.com/ie8. Please download it now and try it out. We welcome your feedback!"

 

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