In the past year, regulators and privacy advocates have taken potshots at Microsoft over its data collection policies. Today, Microsoft announced some new privacy-related initiatives, including a significant change to the way Windows 10 collects telemetry data.
To address criticism from regulators and public policy groups, Microsoft is making some changes in its privacy practices.
Of all the body blows Microsoft has absorbed in the past 18 months over Windows 10, the criticisms of its privacy policies have to sting the most.
Last summer, the French National Data Protection Commission (CNIL) issued a formal notice against Microsoft, ordering that the company "stop collecting excessive data and tracking browsing by users without their consent."
The CNIL found Microsoft's collection of diagnostic information (so-called telemetry) acceptable but said that the default settings for Windows 10 go too far. The complaint singled out Microsoft's practice of collecting information about app usage as "excessive."
A month later, the Electronic Freedom Foundation took aim at Windows 10 with a signed editorial criticizing the company for "disregarding user choice" and sending "an unprecedented amount of usage data back to Microsoft...." As I noted at the time, EFF was especially critical of Microsoft's telemetry collection policies.
After months of explaining and defending its policies, publicly and in meetings with regulators, the company today announced that it's making a series of privacy-related moves. Terry Myerson, who runs the Windows and Devices Group, made the announcement in a blog post:
Many of you have asked for more control over your data, a greater understanding of how data is collected, and the benefits this brings for a more personalized experience. Based on your feedback, we are launching two new experiences to help ensure you are in control of your privacy.
First, today we're launching a new web-based privacy dashboard so you can see and control your activity data from Microsoft including location, search, browsing and Cortana Notebook data across multiple Microsoft services. Second, we're introducing in Windows 10 a new privacy set up experience, simplifying Diagnostic data levels and further reducing the data collected at the Basic level.
The changes to Windows 10 will roll out initially in an upcoming Windows Insider preview build, perhaps as soon as this week, and will reach the general public with the release of the Windows 10 Creators Update this spring.
I haven't seen these features in operation yet. The descriptions in the remainder of this post are based on what Microsoft says it plans to deliver. The broad outlines shouldn't change, but you can expect the user experience to evolve before the final release, based on feedback from Windows Insider Program participants and third parties.
Unlike its predecessors, the Creators Update will not arrive silently in the background. Instead, Microsoft plans to notify Windows 10 users that the update is available and allow them to schedule its installation. As part of the process of scheduling that upgrade, users will have the opportunity to make "explicit choices" about privacy settings in five categories.
This is the new privacy settings setup experience that will arrive soon in a Windows Insider preview build, according to Myerson:
via Microsoft
This setup screen replaces the Express Settings in current Windows 10 public releases, which requires multiple extra steps to adjust default settings in a clean installation and offers no control over privacy options during upgrades. (To make matters worse, some users have reported that Windows 10 upgrades occasionally reset custom privacy options to their default settings after an upgrade.)
The new interface for setting privacy options also includes an explanation of what happens if you turn any of those settings off or, in the case of the Diagnostics setting, adjust it from Full to Basic.
via Microsoft
All of those settings, along with more granular controls (such as setting location permissions on a per-app basis) will also be available after installation, under the Privacy heading in Settings.
The changes to telemetry settings start with the renaming of the category itself, from Diagnostic and Usage Data to just Diagnostics.
In all public releases of Windows 10 so far, non-Enterprise editions allow users and administrators to choose one of three levels to control telemetry collection: Full, Enhanced, and Basic. The changes in the Creators Update will eliminate the Enhanced level and also reduce the amount of information collected when you slide that switch to Basic.
(In Enterprise settings, administrators will continue to have an additional Security option, which eliminates virtually all telemetry collection but requires the deployment of an alternative update mechanism.)
In an interview, Microsoft Corporate Vice President Michael Fortin told me that the Enhanced level was "confusing," and "only a relatively modest number of Windows 10 users were choosing it." Most people either leave the default setting at Full or signal their preference for privacy by switching to the lowest available telemetry option, Basic, he noted.
Effective with this spring's Windows 10 feature update, telemetry information collected at the Basic level will no longer include information about app installation or usage. Instead, Myerson says, information collected at that level will focus strictly on security and reliability, with basic error reporting. That change should assuage some of the concerns of the CNIL and other regulators as well as privacy critics like the EFF.
The new Windows 10 settings are available in all installations, regardless of what type os account the user has signed in with.
The privacy dashboard is a separate feature, designed to give users of Microsoft services the opportunity to see and edit information that is collected and stored in the cloud when they are signed in with a Microsoft account.
According to Myerson, the new privacy dashboard (which will be available at https://account.microsoft.com/privacy will allow Microsoft customers, regardless of hardware platform or operating system, to review and clear data such as browsing history, search history, location activity, and Cortana's Notebook. (Note that this data is associated with a Microsoft account and is not saved in the cloud when the user browses without signing in.)
via MicrosoftBecause this dashboard is web-based, it's likely to evolve significantly over time. In an interview, Myerson told me he expects his team to iterate on that user experience in response to feedback. "What we're learning," he said, "is that people don't always understand why something is being collected and what are the implications of clearing it out. We will continuously be improving."
On paper, Redmond can make a strong case that it has an economic incentive to protect its users' privacy. As I noted last summer, privacy should be a competitive advantage for Microsoft, especially when comparing its policies and practices to those of Google, whose entire business is built on collecting data from its users and turning it into advertising profiles.
Most of Microsoft's revenue comes from selling software licenses, cloud services, and hardware. A significant share of that business is with enterprise customers and government agencies that have a profound interest in privacy and security. Indeed, Microsoft has earned generally high marks for its handling of security and privacy issues in cloud services such as Office 365 and Microsoft Azure.
Where things get somewhat murkier is with products and services aimed at consumers and small businesses. Without transparency over exactly what information is collected and how it's used, the company remains vulnerable to accusations that it's spying on customers.
As Google and Facebook have proven, the most effective way to monetize personal information is through online advertising. Microsoft once had dreams of being an advertising powerhouse, which occasionally led to struggles between product designers and ad sellers.
But the company abandoned that strategic goal five years ago when it wrote off the acquisition of aQuantive and scaled back its advertising ambitions after five years of struggling. Today, the company's advertising business is healthy but relatively small and mostly intended to monetize strategic assets such as its Bing and Cortana search tools.
In Microsoft's most recent quarter, search advertising and other forms of online ads accounted for only about 5 percent of total revenue. Contrast that with Google, which earns roughly 90 percent of its revenue from advertising and depends on collecting massive amounts of data to power the ads that pay for Google Search, Gmail, and other free products
Without Microsoft's investments in those technologies, Google's dominance in search would arguably be a monopoly.
Still, even that small-by-Redmond-standards online search advertising business brought in about $1.4 billion in revenue in its recent quarter, up 40 percent over the previous year. Microsoft's ad business might be tiny compared to its rivals, but it's big enough for regulators and privacy advocates to worry about whether the company's data collection is being driven by its ad business.
Myerson tells me that they've shared details about its data collection practices with large enterprise customers and regulators. "That dialog is taking place in every country where we do business," he said. "We believe users have a right to privacy and users should have control over their data."
For consumers and small businesses, the new privacy dashboard offers more control over online data, but you'll have to take Microsoft assurances on faith when it comes to telemetry.
I asked Myerson whether Microsoft would consider contracting with an outside group, such as the EFF, to audit its data collection policies and offer an independent report.
"That's an interesting idea," he replied. "But various countries are going farther than hiring an audit firm. They're passing laws. We're making sure we're fully compliant with laws that affect Windows users."
At the International CES mega show in Las Vegas, virtual reality hardware makers moved the needle on both consumption and creation devices for formats like VR and 360-degree video. Specifically in the area of 360 video creation technology, we saw some impressive cameras at CES.
Insta360 Pro debuted an 8K camera that can also shoot 4K video at 100 frames per second. Slow mo, high res VR, anyone? The Insta360 also employs new H.265 encoding, which can deliver better video quality at the same bitrate versus H.264 compression. The camera is priced at $3,000, which is steep, but much more competitive than the $60,000 Nokia Ozo.
Ricoh added to its lineup of cameras with the Theta R, which can livestream in 2K resolution at 30 frames per second for up to 24 hours.
At $800 the Vuze Camera will finally begin to ship in March. Its compact size and price point will be good for brands and businesses that want to dip their toes into new content
VR and 360 content can be a powerful tool for companies. For example, Delta used a 360 image to show off its new Delta Premium offering. It drove 2,700 shares and 16,000 engagements. Click on the post below to see it in 360.
The hardware for VR and 360 video is one piece, but the technical and production component is equally as important. When it comes to producing 360 video, remember:
Resolution matters. Here's how you need to think of 360 video. Imagine standing inside of a globe and looking straight ahead. You're only consuming about a quarter of what is happening all around you. If the camera produces video at full HD, then what you're seeing is below standard definition (SD). The higher the native resolution, the higher the fidelity of the 360 experience. That's why cameras that produce in 2K, 4K, and 8K will be so important.
Editing content requires new templates. When you edit 360 video, you edit the equirectangular format of it, which is analogous to the Mercator projection of a globe. That means the size and placement of text will be very important. If you put text at the top of the screen, then it will wrap around the "north pole" when it becomes 360. Experiment with text size and placement and then save it as a template to return to for future projects.
Don't obsess over VR headsets for delivery. Both Facebook and YouTube support 360-degree video and a variety of online video platforms do as well. The equirectangular video is simply injected with a bit of code that allows the video player to interpret the video as 360-degree content. We know that VR headsets are poised to grow and cheaper options will democratize them, but in the meantime, you have options available through Facebook, YouTube, and enterprise OVPs
Did any of the CES announcements entice you to explore VR and 360-degree video?
Google's acquisition brings on board tech to tackle distortion and echo on video calls and conferences, so you can hear who you're talking to.
Google has bought Limes Audio, which makes tech to battle noise, distortion and echoes on video calls.
Photo by Nicole Cozma/CNET
Google has bought Limes Audio, a company with technology to improve sound quality in video calls, to improve its conferencing products like Hangouts, according to a blog post Thursday.
The tech giant said audio quality -- "so that you can hear the person you're talking to, and they can hear you" -- is critical as more businesses adopt its videoconferencing services like Chromebox for Meetings and Hangouts.
Limes Audio's technology removes noise, distortion and echoes, which should help with problems like conference rooms' acoustics and poor internet connections, the company said.
Google has been energetic about video chat lately. With products like Hangouts and Chromebox already in place, it launched another rival to Microsoft's Skype and Apple's FaceTime last year. Called Duo, the app allows one-to-one video calling and has quirky features like Knock Knock, which offers a video preview of who's calling you.
4G-powered wireless internet service promised for later this year.
Lost your car? Soon your smartwatch will be able to help you to find it.
Image: Ford
Motor giant Ford is adding a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot to some of its models, beginning later this year.
The in-car Wi-Fi hotspot will use AT&T's 4G LTE network for connectivity and can support up to 10 devices at a time. When the vehicle is parked, the Wi-Fi is accessible from up to 50 feet away because of an external antenna, which improves the signal strength.
SYNC Connect Wi-Fi hotspot users can monitor data usage, signal strength and connected devices, plus block certain devices and change settings on the SYNC 3 touch screen. They can also use FordPass to view Wi-Fi data usage and link to AT&T's account management portal.
New car buyers of vehicles with the Wi-Fi hotspot -- which will go on sale in the autumn -- will get a trial subscription of three months or 3GB, whichever comes first, after which users will need an AT&T data plan.
Ford also noted: "Don't drive while distracted. Use voice-operated systems when possible, and don't use handheld devices while driving."
Companies like Ford are trying to take advantage of the increasing computing power embedded into vehicles to create new revenue streams, in a bid to diversify their business and move away from reliance on simply selling new vehicles.
The new service was announced at the CES show, where Ford also said its cars will be able to send messages to wearers of Samsung Gear S2 and S3 smartwatches via the new Gear Auto Link app, due in the spring.
After parking, drivers will receive a prompt on their smartwatch asking if they want to log the parking spot, which is picked up from the vehicle's GPS. For vehicles inside a parking garage, the driver can type the level, column and other location indicators into the watch, so that on their return to the vehicle, drivers can receive directions to navigate back to the parking spot using the watch.
Drivers can also use their smartwatch to stay alert by using the Gear to set chimes and voice alerts at three-, five-, 10-, 15- or 20-minute intervals while on the road. Ford said future versions of the app will vibrate the watch as an added way to help keep the driver alert.
The company also announced that it is building Amazon's Alexa voice-controlled digital assistant into some car models.
Kingston's new DataTraveler Ultimate GT comes in 1TB and 2TB configurations.
Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate GT
Kingston
Imagine being able to carry a whopping 70 hours of 4K video in your pocket. Kingston makes this a reality.
The new DataTraveler Ultimate GT -- the GT stands for Generation Terabyte -- is the world's highest capacity USB flash drive, and comes in 1TB and 2TB offerings for those who want to transport large amounts of data with them without relying on hard drives or cloud storage.
On top of the high storage capacity, the new drive is USB 3.1 Gen 1 compatible, which means excellent read/write performance.
Kingston's DataTraveler Ultimate GT offers superior quality in a high-end design as it is made of a robust zinc-alloy metal casing for shock resistance. I own a number of the previous-generation Kingston DataTraveler flash drives and can attest to how robust and reliable they are.
"At Kingston, we push the limits of what's possible," said Jean Wong, Flash business manager. "With the DataTraveler Ultimate GT, we empower users to increase their data storage mobility in a highly manageable form factor. This is a terrific follow up to our 1TB drive released in 2013 and by doubling the capacity, users can store and carry even larger amounts of data easily."
The Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate GT will ship in February 2017, but there's no word yet as to pricing (you'll probably need to be sitting down when you see it).
Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate GT specifications:
Capacities: 1TB, 2TB
Speed: USB 3.1 Gen. 1
Dimensions: 72mm x 26.94mm x 21mm
Operating Temperature: -25°C to 60°C
Storage Temperature: -40°C to 85°C
Warranty: 5-year warranty with free technical support
Compatible with: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7 (SP1), Mac OS 10.9.x and above, Linux v.2.6.x and above, Chrome OS
