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Who wins that race? Or is it being joined together?

See https://www.howtogeek.com/3401... and https://elgan.com/blog/why-i-d...

So, now we get Microsoft's public telemetry info being sucked from Windows 10 machines or phone-based platforms? http://investmentwatchblog.com... which includes:
- Typed text on keyboard sent every 30 minutes
- Transmits anything you say into a microphone
- Transcripts of things you say while using Cortana
- Index of all media files on your computer
- When your webcam is first enabled, 35mb of data
- Telemetry data

I'm a OnePlus phone owner (prior to all of this being disclosed), but even I'm considering not getting another one. I can't begin to imagine piling Windows 10 on top of it!

Configuration profiles offer a lot of control of a device, and can pose asecurity risk. Nothing really prevents a developer from distributing the app and configuration profile independently though, just makes it harder for the end user. If all the functionality is really in the profile though, it becomes easy to bypass the sales mechanism.

First link I found on the subject: https://www.howtogeek.com/1761...

Just FYI... https://www.howtogeek.com/4020...

You're right, it's an obscure phrase that people only used briefly on obscure websites years ago.

https://www.theverge.com/2013/...
https://techcrunch.com/2018/07...
https://mashable.com/article/f...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/t...
https://www.howtogeek.com/fyi/...
https://arstechnica.com/inform...
https://www.abc.net.au/news/sc...
https://gizmodo.com/dark-patte...
https://phys.org/news/2018-04-...
https://www.extremetech.com/in...
https://venturebeat.com/2018/0...
https://sdtimes.com/addiction/...
https://9to5mac.com/2018/10/15...

How to Install Android in VirtualBox

May be useful if you want to test Android Apps.

At least in the US, yes, the 4 digit PIN smeared all over your device is a lot safer.

What a hilarious gaffe you made repeating the very statement that proves you wrong!

You see, that 4 digit PIN has been declared to be protected

That protects you legally from having to reveal your passcode...

However if you think back to that sentence you copied, they know from the smears on the screen the digits of your passcode. Making it very likely they could simply guess it.

With an iPhone, if you see them holding a phone up to your face, you can simply refuse to unlock it by shutting your eyes. And if you are going through an area where you think they might try at all, you can always tell the iPhone to go into passcode only mode.

The rest of the time you get the convenience of FaceID, along with the extra security of not having to type your passcode out repeatedly in front of who knows how many cameras....

Didn't think about that one, did ya?

"Chromium is an open-source browser project that forms the basis for the Chrome web browser. But let’s take a little deeper look at what that means.

When Google first introduced Chrome back in 2008, they also released the Chromium source code on which Chrome was based as an open-source project. That open-source code is maintained by the Chromium Project, while Chrome itself is maintained by Google.

The biggest difference between the two browsers is that, while Chrome is based on Chromium, Google also adds a number of proprietary features to Chrome like automatic updates and support for additional video formats. Google also took a similar approach with the Chromium OS, which is an open-source project that forms the basis for their own Chrome OS—the operating system that runs on Chromebooks....."

It can be dangerous...

Chromium is an open-source web browser project. Although Chromium project itself is legitimate, it is often misused as a platform for malicious web browsers categorized as adware and potentially unwanted programs (PUP). ... Clicking these ads is risky and may lead to high-risk adware or malware infections.Feb 20, 2018 How to uninstall Rogue Chromium Browsers - Virus removal instructions...

What is Chromium? Chromium is an open-source web browser project. Although Chromium project itself is legitimate, it is often misused as a platform for malicious web browsers categorized as adware and potentially unwanted programs (PUP). Most infiltrate systems without users’ permission. In addition, these apps continually track Internet browsing activity, generate intrusive advertisements, and cause unwanted browser redirects.

https://www.pcrisk.com/removal...

You may, or may not, see this post.

I virtualized my entire Win7 box with VMWare vCenter Converter
https://www.howtogeek.com/2131...

This included LightRoom and Photoshop (granted, CS3) and I was *stunned* at how well it run as a VM, even on my older Ubuntu PowerEdge 2900 box.

It works, and it works well. Through in a modern system with GPU Passthrough and it'll work even better.

0.0.0.0 googleonline2018.com

(That'll STOP the redirect to bogus Chrome - no "1st" really: Lookup EFast (bogus chrome doppleganger malware - the PRICE of opening your code up to others was this which IS why I don't do mine that way (after threats from /. trolls they'd do that to my hosts program)).

* SOURCE: https://www.howtogeek.com/fyi/...

APK

P.S.=> "It's working: Neville... it's working!" See subject & results from the past month https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... & https://it.slashdot.org/commen... + https://it.slashdot.org/commen... + https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... & https://search.slashdot.org/co... that's only recently while I've been on Linux (few months now only) & 100's of times vs. MANY other botnets/malwares etc. in the past circa 2006-early 2018 while I was on Windows: CONCRETE VISIBLE UNDENIABLE REALITY (see those links as proof & only PARTIAL (what /. reported - there were FAR more in that timeframe))... apk

0.0.0.0 googleonline2018.com

(That'll STOP the redirect to bogus Chrome - no "1st" really: Lookup EFast (bogus chrome doppleganger malware - the PRICE of opening your code up to others was this which IS why I don't do mine that way (after threats from /. trolls they'd do that to my hosts program)).

* SOURCE https://www.howtogeek.com/fyi/...

APK

P.S.=> "It's working: Neville... it's working!" See subject & results from the past month https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... & https://it.slashdot.org/commen... + https://it.slashdot.org/commen... + https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... & https://search.slashdot.org/co... that's only recently while I've been on Linux (few months now only) & 100's of times vs. MANY other botnets/malwares etc. in the past circa 2006-early 2018 while I was on Windows: CONCRETE VISIBLE UNDENIABLE REALITY (see those links as proof & only PARTIAL (what /. reported - there were FAR more in that timeframe))... apk

Microsofts Windows 10 does this too
https://www.howtogeek.com/2435...

Google and Apple should disable auto-update on apps that change owners. If you want an update after the app has changed owners, you should at least be aware of the change, which would cut way down on this type of scam.

I don't know about Google, but on iOS, I personally have NEVER seen an App just "AutoUpdate". They ALL just gang-up WAITING to be MANUALLY Updated. I realize you CAN tell iOS to Auto-Update Apps (and who would?!?); but the default is WISELY "OFF", and you have to dig around in Settings to Enable it.

https://9to5mac.com/2013/09/20...

Perhaps on Android, either there IS no Setting, or the Default is IDIOTICALLY set to "Enabled"...

Ah, I see: Good ol' Google: Always looking-out for the User... NOT:

https://www.howtogeek.com/2022...

Maybe that's why this article DOESN'T include iOS Apps...

One more reason that Google, and by association, Android, is EVIL.

https://www.howtogeek.com/2774...

https://www.howtogeek.com/3311...

OK, so, lemme get this straight.

Microsoft has tried to manipulate people using malware tactics to twist your arm into wiping out Windows 7 for a Windows 10 install they can control, has uninstalled applications without asking during their updates, has had to be forced by the EU to reveal the data they're sucking from your computer, and this was just the stuff I could find with five minutes on Google. If I bothered to spend a half hour on this I'm sure I could come up with dozens more things, all consistent with Microsoft's long history of generally pulling every dirty trick in the book that they could, which only abated as long as the DoJ watched them like a hawk.

And you're going to try to sell us that they're doing this for our own good?

You REALLY believe that?

SERIOUSLY?

Did you, like the FCC, also believe it when the Internet companies PROMISED (cross-their-heart-and-hope-to-die) they wouldn't abuse the lack of net neutrality, because they wanted net neutrality too, or whatever crap they were peddling at the time?

Microsoft and all the other large tech companies have only their own pocketbook and access to power in mind, and your data is how they intend to expand both. Specifically, CONTROLLING your data, whether you like it or not, by slowly converting your computing devices into a dumb terminal under their control. The whole PC platform has slowly but surely moved in this direction for a while now, whether the users like it or not, because they're doing their best to crush or assimilate all choice. Ultimately what Microsoft wants is for you to have a dumb terminal where it is illegal for you to do anything they do not allow on it. If they could get away with it, for "computing safety" they would probably MANDATE that you can't have any kind of computer other than a dumb terminal, because it's "too dangerous" to let the filthy peasantry have access to general purpose computers and unfiltered, uncensored, uncontrolled network access.

Windows 10 is a nice, big part of that, as is slowly dragging their applications (and your work) into their cloud infrastructure, and making sure that you don't own program licenses, you RENT your software from them.

The magical improvements don't need half these changes, and most, if not ALL, of them could easily be made to existing OS's, but their business model is switching to controlling the computing infrastructure, so they can't allow that. As such, they plan to lock you, and your data, into paying them forever, and obeying their dictates as to what you can and can't do with your data, software, and computer. They also get to change around your computer in whatever manner they like for whatever purposes they deem fit. Plus as a bonus the government can use them to enforce whatever crackpot laws they want to. Whether you love or hate Trump, Hillary, or anyone else, this should give you very serious pause.

These approaches are both subtle and gross. A rather gross one is changing your OS because they twisted around a dialog box or asked a naive user, swapped things around overnight, and gave them the "choice," right when they needed their data, whether to keep what they did to things (not even knowing what those things were in most cases), or to spend hours uninstalling their "upgrade" and leave you with the mangled remains of your previously perfectly functional Windows 7 installation (uninstalling an OS is not a nic

I have the Google Autenticator for my SSH logins.
This is what I did:
1) Down load the app.I use the one from LastPass, not the one from Google
2) Follow e.g. These instructions. It basicaslly means you install libpam-google-authenticator, configure 2 files and run google-authenticator
3) ssh and it will ask me for the autenticator. No network needed.

I use the same app for Amazon.

Here you go.

There are some public wifi hotspots that I wouldn't use without a VPN just to encrypt my traffic from casual sniffing. Then again, my Android handset does that automatically. For Free. The question is whether Verizon blocks this functionality just to sell this crippled $4/mo. service.

With a little know-how, it's trivial to do this yourself. I set up my own OpenVPN server and loaded the OpenVPN client on my phone and laptop. I don't have to pay no stinkin' 4.00 per month fee.

There are some public wifi hotspots that I wouldn't use without a VPN just to encrypt my traffic from casual sniffing. Then again, my Android handset does that automatically. For Free. The question is whether Verizon blocks this functionality just to sell this crippled $4/mo. service.

I reread today.

From "How to Sideload an Android App From an APK on a Chromebook" by Chris Hoffman:

Step One: Put Your Chromebook Into Developer Mode

If you’re used to Android, you know that you need to enable the “Unknown Sources” option to install apps that aren’t available in Google Play. However, this option is hidden and not normally available on Chrome OS.

To access this option, you’ll need to put your Chromebook into developer mode
[...]
If you don’t see the Unknown Sources option here, your Chromebook isn’t in developer mode. This option only appears here when your Chromebook is in developer mode, so try going through Step One again.

I concede that this article was published two years ago. Let's try a more recent article from January 2018, "You'll Soon be Able to Sideload Android Apps on your Chromebook Without Developer Mode" by Arol Wright:

app sideloading's been available since the rollout of Android app support on the platform, but it currently requires enabling Developer mode. However, this might be changing very soon, according to a code commit spotted in Chrome OS.
[...]
easier Chrome OS sideloading won't come to consumer devices right away -- the commit references enterprise Chromebooks such as those in businesses and schools. When the feature is live, Chrome OS administrators will be able to toggle APK sideloading on and off on fleets of devices with a simple switch.

It's not certain yet whether Google will roll sideloading support out to regular, consumer Chromebooks in the near or far future.

Has this gone live on non-enterprise Chrome OS yet? It appears not, as "Load apps on Chromebooks" from the official Android documentation still states as of today:

Enabling unknown sources is available only when your device is in Developer mode.

That would be ChromeOS, which already has window dragging support coyly tucked away in developer options. Also now runs Android apps and full Linux distros (in a vm in a container, how's that for paranoia).

Nope -- it absolutely does NOT sure as fuck mean that. Microsoft will officially support any and all deprecated features because even deprecated features should comply with specification. They are just announcing that at some point, the feature will move to "unsupported" and then to "removed".

"If I'm making a product that requires support from the publisher for bugs, security issues, or what have you for a given module, and they drop it on the floor, I drop them on the floor."

Yeah, but other companies will still security-support deprecated features. In fact, Apple almost certainly will too while they support macOS 10.14 - although unlike Microsoft, they're rather vague about the timeline for that.

The strange thing is AutoDESK is saying the product won't RUN because it relies on present, supported, deprecated, OpenGL. That makes no sense. Apps built using OpenGL and OpenCL will continue to run in macOS 10.14, but these legacy technologies are deprecated in macOS 10.14.. They WILL run unless something else blocks it. But a future edition of MacOS will not let them run.

Yes, Autodesk are right to halt development (or migrate to Metal or Vulkan+MoltenVK which runs on Metal; obviously a lot more work); but saying it won't run implies they're actively doing something to block it. (Could also be some minor incompatibility with the new OS stops it running and they cannot be bothered updating the application at all; given OpenGL's deprecated status.)

Or just turn off write caching for USB devices. In fact, it's off by default in Microsoft Windows. There are two options for USB devices, Quick Removal (default) and Better Performance (write caching). More information.

That explains why it doesn't seem to matter with Windows; but at least earlier (up to at least 10.7) versions of OS X/macOS, you took a great risk just yanking removable storage (USB Sticks and USB HDDs) without "Ejecting" first.

They MAY have fixed that behavior in later versions; but, having personally corrupted a USB HDD that way, I still feel better safe than sorry...

Or just turn off write caching for USB devices. In fact, it's off by default in Microsoft Windows. There are two options for USB devices, Quick Removal (default) and Better Performance (write caching). More information.

You have actually been able to do this manually for several years now: https://www.howtogeek.com/1155...

Manufacturers are getting better about it, putting their apps in Play rather than the ROM.

A hard link (similar to a shortcut for you Windows users) was created.

Windows has hard links, most users just don't know how to make or use them. I'll bet for the same reason (lack of knowledge of command lines), most Mac users don't know how to do this either.

From what I read here LTSB is a huge improvement over the other versions of Win10.

Not bullshit, you have to get a special license when you have more than 12 cores on modern Windows. It is not a technical limitation but a licensing one. Windows 10 Pro for Workstations

#5 Or press the mute button on the top of it.

Three years ago. You can already remote your smartphone with an app, doing nearly everything they said they want the app to do.

I've tried all four, and personally find that Mint is slightly more geared towards traditional desktop users that want a stable system. Aside from the interface there's mostly just tweaks to the default applications that Ubuntu otherwise offers, typically with additional configuration options.

Some of the major application improvements I find in Mint is a file manager that's more customizable, informative and friendly towards keyboard navigation. There's also an update manager that will give more details about package origins, version numbers, changelogs with CVEs resolved, and their level of stability, e.g.: https://www.howtogeek.com/wp-c.... This as opposed to Ubuntu which wants you to install everything immediately.

As for Cinnamon or MATE I would recommend Cinnamon as it is a fork of GNOME 3 rather than MATE being a GNOME 2 fork, making modern application compatibility issues much less likely. It requires additional system resources tough.

Only because Apple made the procedure hard in the first place.

Replacement batteries for other phones are often $5, and easy enough to replace that there's no chance to damage the phone.

And there still is an extremely high chance that the cheap Chinese knock-off you bought will blow up sooner rather than later. https://www.howtogeek.com/172680/danger-why-you-shouldnt-buy-cheap-third-party-batteries-for-laptops-or-smartphones/. But hey, you get what you deserve.

You got my curiosity up, and so I searched. It looks like if you don't want to spring for a Chromebook, you can run the ChromeOS on VirtualBox. This looks useful, though I don't think the kids actually use any packaged apps so just logging in to Chrome on a PC/Mac is usually sufficient for their school work.

Forge a cert for yourself, it's not hard.

It's a bit harder to get the devices of friends and relatives visiting your home to trust the certificate of your private CA so that they can (say) view the videos on your NAS or print to your printer. In addition, Android displays a persistent warning about "Network monitoring" if a private CA certificate is installed.

Allowing friends or relatives on a private network is even more reason to do https. There's no polite way on how to screen whether they are running ARP poisoning to sniff traffics.

Forge a cert for yourself, it's not hard.

It's a bit harder to get the devices of friends and relatives visiting your home to trust the certificate of your private CA so that they can (say) view the videos on your NAS or print to your printer. In addition, Android displays a persistent warning about "Network monitoring" if a private CA certificate is installed.

Lenovo need to stop people writing the Bios because otherwise they'd able to remove the crapware Lenovo put in the Bios to stop people removing the crapware they put in the Windows by installing a fresh Windows image.

With an unmodified Lenovo Bios the crapware will be re-installed via Windows Platform Binary Table

https://www.howtogeek.com/2263...

Beginning with Windows 8, a PC manufacturer can embed a program - a Windows .exe file, essentially - in the PC's UEFI firmware. This is stored in the "Windows Platform Binary Table" (WPBT) section of the UEFI firmware. Whenever Windows boots, it looks at the UEFI firmware for this program, copies it from the firmware to the operating system drive, and runs it. Windows itself provides no way to stop this from happening. If the manufacturer's UEFI firmware offers it up, Windows will run it without question.

Were it not for this Bios resetting feature - a ludicrously determined user could do the following

1) Remove Windows
2) Use some other OS to dump the Bios out
3) Hack said dump to mess up the Windows Platform Binary Table and reflash it
4) Reinstall Windows from an image

And then they'd have a copy of Windows with no Lenovo Service Engine installed! The horror! Instead it seems like Lenovo have had the Bios reset itself to stop step 3), so the determined user would still have LSE installed.

>"Given how Firefox uses services provided by Google, I don't consider it any better than Chrome. In fact, it may be worse, because clearly some people like you have been fooled into wrongly thinking that Firefox is free from "Googleisms and Google tracking".

While some of the information you gave is clearly relevant and informative, I will add:

1) You can't be sure what you have in a binary blob like Chrome. And even if you ARE sure at the moment, all it takes is one auto-update for that to change.

2) You can turn off both location and SafeBrowsing in Firefox in about:config (and I do). And there is no need to wait for them to be triggered, first.

3) There are a LOT more "Googleisms" than just the two you listed (not interested in Mobile, although that can be relevant). And it is far more likely that in Chrome, it will do things with certain settings turned on that do other things, too. Think the way Facebook figures out who you are without even being logged in. And some of the Googleisms can't be disabled UNTIL you are presented with some dialog while it is already enabled (like Safe Browsing).

And you certainly don't have to be an asshole when replying, either:

>"Mark Davis, before you make an asinine claim"
>"So don't give us this bullshit"
>"is full of bullshit."

But I guess that is to be expected today by many people who post anonymously? In any case, here is a site with some things that can be done to maximize privacy in Chrome:

https://www.howtogeek.com/1003...

we have to hope it honors those settings. I don't have any evidence to the contrary, however.

DO NOT DISABLE DEFRAG

"Configure defrag if you have an HDD. Completely disable defrag if you have an SSD. (it should be done by the OEM, but, check nonetheless)"

WINDOWS 7 AND UP HAVE MORE INTELLIGENT DEFRAG THAT DO NOT DO WHAT YOU THINK IT DOES WITH SSD DRIVES

The MFT WILL logically fragment over time, and there is a MAXIMUM level of fragmentation that the NTFS MFT can handle, at which point it will cease functioning properly (read-only, writes fail, etc)

Other OSes solve this in different ways, but all have similar issues.

Also, disabling defrag STOPS TRIM runs!

DO NOT "OPTIMIZE" SSDS

https://www.howtogeek.com/2568...

More in depth technical info about what windows defrag actually does on SSDs: https://www.hanselman.com/blog...

it's just like disabling services on modern windows - 99.9999999999% time, it hurts perf, doesn't increase it

Also, from a security perspective, for 20k workstations at a federal contractor, we use Edge as the default and only have it invoke IE for compat modes (we also provide chrome and firefox, but due to the extra exploit mitigation technologies in Edge we're forcing any links spawned from email/applications to open in edge first)

example of exploits mitigated by edge/win10 : https://blogs.technet.microsof...

I'm not sure why everyone doesn't do this. Why would you connect a spy device voluntarily to your network?

Why would everyone carry around a personalized localizer which forwards their current position to the authorities?

I'm not sure why everyone doesn't do this. Why would you connect a spy device voluntarily to your network? Also, focusing on the monitor functionality versus soon to be obsolete "smart services" would seem to be a much better deal for all involved.

No, the argument is that if I want a simple, easy-to-remember passcode, I can decide that for myself. The phone should not be limiting me to a simple passcode at setup, and make me jump through hoops to "unlock" stronger passcodes and have to change it later. That's idiotic and very obviously counterproductive for security.

Bullshit.

If you consider flipping a switch in the Settings App to be "Jumping through hoops", then I pity you for feeling put-upon to have to jump through hoops like "pressing Accept on your phone just to answer a call", or "entering your PIN to access your bank website AFTER you already logged-in with your username and password", right?

I know who you are: You're that guy that makes me create a password with so many special features that it becomes TOTALLY un-remember-able, and so I end up HAVING to write it down somewhere; which, guess what? TOTALLY defeats the purpose of a "secure password".

Actually, these seem like very similar "hoops":

Android:

https://www.howtogeek.com/2531...

Apple:

  Seems like the option to decide what passcode strength you want is right there when you enter your passcode. How much less of a "hoop" do you want???

https://www.macworld.co.uk/how...

TL;dr

You're demonstrably an idiot Apple Hater. Nothing more.

How many times will Microsoft try (and fail) to make a successful phone before they give up and admit that they suck at making phones?

They've had about 10 different phone projects in the last few years and they've ALL failed miserably.

Yet they still get $5+ for every cell phone sold https://www.howtogeek.com/1837...

I read about the MAC tracking in the story about the garbage cans in London. https://www.howtogeek.com/1969...

How about IP address?. How about screen size and density? How about GPU fingerprint? Your adblocker and script blocker combination is enough to identify you. Also, you know most adblockers (looking at you ghostery) aggregate the user behavior data? how do you know what they do with that behind doors.

Please share with us the host list for all the tracking servers active and the ones popping every day. Maybe you can create an app for that and... oh wait.

At the very least you are 100% sure the NSA knows everything and everywhere related to your device. Do you trust them not to share the information with the great advertisers in exchange for their data? One can only be so naive.

As long as you can sideload to the Roku, this is a non-problem. Roku is going to take the apps off the store, and maybe even take store apps off of devices, but if you are competent you can sideload apps.

Most of what we need the internet for is being replaced and overshadowed by graphic-heavy bells & whistles. We could use the internet safely if we applied a more minimalist approach to design and if we standardized video or dynamic UI for the internet better than we are now.

Ethics watchdogs need to step up and start really trying hard to break the current push for more javascript.

The web browser should display a page that can be interacted with effectively and efficiently, without all the added bells & whistles, because those bells & whistles are often introduced to create security vectors for black hatters.

Most people using the internet have limited safety understanding. Flash is one of those platforms that can seriously harm a computer if the Flash object is designed as malware. Couple this with the loose security in users still using IE that often utilizes ActiveX and the results are predictably negative.

MSFT can try as much as they want but I'll never trust them very much and everything they release has to be combed through by teams of 3rd party security experts in order to protect their clients.

Again, using Firefox & Noscript, coupled with a given user's paranoia, will prevent most malware type issues.

"Memory optimizers" have been a thing on Windows for several decades. They all work the same way: they force everything out of memory and into swap. It makes it *look* like you have tons of free memory, but then everything grinds to a halt as it's swapped back in.

https://www.howtogeek.com/1714...

If Comcast were to selectively throttle traffic from Youtube, Amazon, Pandora, etc., to their customers, there would be actual contractual issue that could be settled in court - either between the website and Comcast (if they buy transit from Comcast), OR ISP that the website buys transit from and Comcast

And Youtube, Amazon, Pandora etc. would lose. Peering is between network providers; content providers aren't part of any such agreement (unless a network provider like Comcast just happens to also be a content provider).

Let's say Amazon hooks up through Level 3, and Comcast is throttling Amazon traffic to all its customers at the last mile. Comcast, OTOH, has it's own shopping site and video streaming service, that don't need to come through the Level 3 bottleneck and goes straight to all its customers with great quality. To Comcast customers, Amazon appears lousy, may not be worth the subscription fee.

Amazon can complain, but they have no contractual relationship with Comcast, so no standing to sue. So, that's that.

They can complain to Level 3, but if Comcast has any evidence to show they're receiving boatloads more traffic from Level 3 than they're sending, then they have reason to squelch Level 3's traffic within the limits of the peer agreement. Level 3 says sorry, Amazon, nothing we can do. Amazon can sue Level 3, for not suing Comcast more effectively, or for not renegotiating the peering contract. And everybody can spend years and years and years in litigation, while Amazon's subscribers on Comcast's network get frustrated and quit. Wall St. gets wind of this, Amazon's stock starts to fall, billions of dollars vanish.

Or.... Comcast can offer a little side deal with Amazon to favor their packets as they arrive from Level 3, for a fee. Because, again, good Mr. Ajit Pai and his FCC would permit Comcast to discriminate packets by content, or by any way they choose. As they say, it's their pipes, their wires, and they have a God-given right to monetize them any and every way they feel fit, such as by offering different levels or tiers of service. You got your base tier, good enough for e-mail maybe, but if you want to be sure all your subscribers receive 4K streaming on Comcast's network, better cough up for the "premium" service. As far as Comcast is concerned, Amazon and Google can afford it, and it's about time they started paying up.

Rather than burn money on contract litigation, Amazon will give in and pay this extortion fee to Comcast rather than risk losing subscribers on Comcast's very big network. Verizon, Cablevision, Cox, AT&T, anyone with that monopoly on the last mile has every reason to get in on this racket and hit Google, Hulu, Netflix, ESPN, Amazon, and every other mass-consumer of last-mile bandwidth for a piece of their action, because, as they say, they're our pipes, their territory, and the FCC is throwing out any obligation for last-mile carriers to "give it away" to the likes of Google, Amazon, and everyone else with a business model based on a content-neutral Internet. That adds up to a lot of extortion fees, passed on as a lot of ads and fees for you and me.

I'm not a fan of how locked down these are, nor the steps to get play store, or play store apps, onto the device. You note that you just have to install a few apk's. The problem is, all the howto's for this point to various 3rd party sites to get the apk's. For example: https://www.howtogeek.com/2327...
That has you get them from apkmirror.com

All the directions read like an email from the early 90's that's trying to get you to download and run something to install a virus.

Where are the steps to verify these apk's are legit? If they came from the play store, the app signatures would be checked.

Amazon also offers their app store for common android devices. Installing it on an android device is similar, but different in that you download the amazon underground or amazon app store from amazon's site over https, so at least you know you're getting it from the owner. You install just that one, then you can install other apps from the amazon app store.

The reverse process (installing google play store on a fire tablet) seems far more risky. Google and Amazon have made this difficult on purpose. On the fire tablet, you can't even add a shortcut/bookmark onto the home screen, so you can't have an easy link to the web based google apps (or any other companies sites).

The hardware might be OK for the price, but I'll never buy one again. I'm amazed every time I hear of someone saying they work just as well as any other tablet... that's simply not true unless all you use it for is amazon content. If you're thinking of getting one for a family member, just spend a couple more bucks and get them something more standard.

To be fair, Microsoft are up-front about the end-of-life schedules of their operating systems, making that information available before a new OS version is even released.

If a manufacturer supplies a piece of equipment running a specific version of Windows and has no plan to keep it working or secure past the EoL of that version of Windows, that is entirely on them. They knew that their product would stop receiving updates and did nothing... which suggests that they are the ones who want you to buy a new product, not Microsoft.

Oh, and the new version pushes adware on you and installs whatever the fuck Microsoft wants and reboots the system whenever it damn well pleases.

Which is why if you were - for whatever reason - building a medical/manufacturing/research product that runs Windows and required continuity, you would use something like Windows 10 IoT LTSB, which is stable and supported for 10 years and also has the ability to defer updates.

end the PC Windows market

What happens after that? Does Apple get 90 percent of the PC market? Or do Linux laptops* start showing up in North American showrooms?

* Specifically, those capable of running something other than a web browser without begging to format it every time you turn it on. Search this article for "Space key".