Windows 10 Sends Data Everyday, after tweaking privacy settings

Myth: By disabling all privacy compromising and telemetry features on Windows 10 will stop Microsoft to track your activities.

Fact: Even after all telemetry features disabled, Windows 10 is phoning home more than you could ever think of.

Ever since the launch of Microsoft's newest operating system, Windows 10 is believed to be spying on its users. I wrote a number of articles to raise concern about Windows 10 privacy issues, including its controversial data mining features and privacy invasion features.

The only solution believed to cope up with these issues is to disable all the telemetry features or use an automated tool to disable all privacy-infringing features in just one click.

But unfortunately, all these efforts got wasted because Microsoft still tracks you, even after you tighten your Windows 10 privacy to an extreme level, claims the recent analysis conducted by a Voat user CheesusCrust.

Traffic Analysis Reveals Extent of Windows 10 Spying

Curious to know the extent of Windows 10 spying, CheesusCrust set up his Linux laptop with a Windows 10 Enterprise virtual machine as well as a DD-WRT router that was being utilized to monitor traffic.

CheesusCrust also disabled every single tracking and telemetry features in the operating system. He then left the machine running Windows 10 overnight in an effort to monitor the connections the OS is attempting to make.

The results are not so surprising:

Eight hours later, he found that the idle Windows 10 box had tried over 5,500 connections to 93 different IP addresses, out of which almost 4,000 were made to 51 different IP addresses belonging to Microsoft.

After leaving the machine for 30 hours, Windows 10 expanded that connection to 113 non-private IP addresses, potentially allowing hackers to intercept this data.

Taking his test to a step further, CheesusCrust again installed Windows 10 Enterprise virtual machine on his laptop, disabled all tracking features and enabled a third-party tool known as DisableWinTracking. 

After this, the number was reduced to 2758 connections to 30 different IP addresses in the period of 30 hours.

The interesting fact here is: This analysis was conducted on Windows 10 Enterprise Edition that comes with the most granular level of user control, far more than the standard Windows 10 Home Edition used by a sizable audience.

The Greatest Cost to Owning 'Free' Windows 10

However, based on these logs, it would be inaccurate to say that Windows 10 is sending your personal data to Microsoft's servers. But, thousands of connection attempts in the period of 8 hours just to check for updates or adjust the time, sounds more complicated than thought.

A September 2015 blog from Terry Myerson, head of the Windows team, explained that while Windows 10 does send some of your data to the company, everything is encrypted and doesn't include any of your personal details.

Here's what Microsoft says about the Windows 10 Spying concerns:

"We collect a limited amount of information to help us provide a secure and reliable experience. This includes data like an anonymous device ID, device type, and application crash data which Microsoft and our developer partners use to continuously improve application reliability. This doesn't include any of your content or files, and we take several steps to avoid collecting any information that directly identifies you, such as your name, email address or account ID."

While this research doesn't provide what details Windows 10 is sending to the company even after disabling the telemetry features, you have to keep this in mind that Nothing comes for FREE. "Free" is just a relative term. May be you are paying the greatest cost to owning Windows 10.

MSI’s Latest Tobii Gaming Laptop Comes with Eye-tracking Tech

Micro-Star International (MSI) may not be the biggest or most-renowned name in technology when we talk about China, but it certainly is among the country’s most potent and cutting-edge. The latest GT72S G Tobii gaming laptop from the firm is a swell monster which is also the world’s first with eye-tracking technology.

Yes, that’s right. At the bottom of the gorgeous display, you get a set of (there’re three of those) Tobii’s near-IR illuminators which may look quite cool to you, but relay the information of your eye movement to a stream or a game.

Software Support For Eye-Tracking Technology

This technology is supported by around two dozen video game titles, including Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, Assassin’s Creed: Rogue and Elite: Dangerous. This means your eyes can actually give out your location or strategy to your opponent so it’s a good idea to watch out. There’s also support for all those cool eye-tracking passwords, scanners and other cool stuff in Windows 10.

The Hardware

Apart from this, the laptop comes with a 17.3″ 1080p display, along with a full-color backlit SteelSeries keyboard underneath for better responsiveness. Under the hood, you get a SkyLake 2.7 Ghz Intel Core i7 K processor with GeForce GTX 900M GPU, 32 GB DDR4 memory, 256 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD as well as a Blu-Ray disc burner drive.

You can also connect up to two 4K monitors externally via USB 3.0. 3W speakers and a dedicated subwoofer will make audio more interesting, while there’s also HiFi DAC support if you have some expensive headphone gear.

The early buyers will get Tom Clancy’s The Division along with their purchase as a free perk. No new tech is expected to be affordable once it comes out and this is even more so the case with a backlit, eye-tracking, IR-boasting laptop from MSI.

Available for pre-order at $2600, the GT72S will be available in the coming few months.

Getflix : VPN Solution That Netflix Users Want

With Netflix now starting the crackdown on proxies and VPNs to counter viewership of content from unsupported territories, it might appear that your only remaining mode of watching the upcoming House of Cards season is via illegal means only.

However, a new paid solution offering lifetime support is here to answer your VPN woes, once and for all. Getflix the service, uses the traditional VPN with a new twist.

How Does Getflix Work?

Rather than routing your entire web data, Getflix only routes the data for the videos that you want to watch. Hence, the overall internet speeds aren’t affected and you can otherwise browse as swiftly as usual (a notion which depends on many other factors as well).

The service gives you the option to unlock 100 sources of media consumption, including movies, TV shows, sports & more and gives you 50 VPN nodes to access those.

The service is not cheap, but it is on sale right now at 91 percent off, for $69 for the length of a lifetime. Usually, the deal costs $855 so it is a steal at the moment. (Actually, the duration is 30 years, but never mind.)

Just so you know, there’s also a free VPN/SmartVPN option which gives you 256-bit encryption for all of your traffic. No additional software is required for it to work either.

Netflix became more stringent when it comes to geographical restrictions after a major turn earlier this year to become a truly global force. In order to evade government regulations and licensing, it tightened the restrictions around the availability of its shows, and has since been taking action on it. If you still want to pay the content-makers their fair share however, then there is probably no better option than Getflix out there.

You can find Getflix here.

Haris Aziz Listed Among Top 10 Upcoming AI Researchers

A Pakistani researcher, Haris Aziz, has managed to get his name in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering’s (IEEE) “AI’s 10 to Watch”. The list was published in IEEE’s Intelligent System’s Magazine. 

According to the IEEE’s official statement, “AI’s 10 to Watch” acknowledges the top 10 researchers and professionals in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).

AI’s 10 to Watch

The list features young scientists from across the globe. The criteria to be named in the list requires the candidates to have completed their doctoral degree (Ph.D) within the past five years. The candidates should also have worked and made notable contributions to AI research. IEEE Intelligent Systems publishes the list after every two years and Haris Aziz was featured in the Jan-Feb edition of the 2016 issue.

A Profile of Haris Aziz

Haris graduated with a BSc (Honours) in 2003 from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). He completed his degree in Computer Science from LUMS. After that, Haris went to the UK and received a degree in MSc in Mathematics and Foundations of Computer Science from the University of Oxford. The former LUMS student finally completed his Ph.D in Computer Sciences from the University of Warwick, UK.

The Pakistani scientist currently works as a senior researcher at Data61, one of Australia’s largest data innovation companies. He’s a conjoint Senior Lecturer at the University of New South Wales in Sydney as well.

Haris Aziz was recognized for his research in the field related to computational social choice, an intersection between artificial intelligence and economics. His work consisted of design of preference aggregation algorithms, models and algorithms for cost allocation, mechanics for multi-agent resource allocation, and team formation using tools from cooperative game theory.

If IEEE’s list of emerging scientists in artificial intelligence proves correct, these 10 scientists and researchers could make a noticeable impact in the field over the coming few years.

Apple could offer IMessage for Android

Although Apple has its own operating system for both desktop (Mac OS X) and iPhone (iOS), the company has always tried to port its in-house applications to other OS platforms.

Apple debuted on its rival mobile OS platform last year with the launch of Apple Music on Android. However, iTunes and Safari has already been made available for both Windows as well as Mac.

Now, the company will soon move more of its mobile applications to Android if comments made by Chief Executive Tim Cook at the recent company-wide event for Apple employees are to be believed.

iMessage App for Android Platform

Cook reportedly told his staff that sooner Apple may bring other apps and exclusive services to the Android Systems, and added that bringing Apple Music to Android in November was "a way of testing the waters for growing its services division through other platforms," reports 9to5Mac.

So, you could see iMessage, the company's encrypted messaging application, expanded to Android.

iMessage is one of the most famous Apple's apps that allows Apple users to send and receive messages, photos, and videos to their fellow Apple users as long as the device has a data connection.

How Apple Can Read End-to-End Encrypted iMessages

What many of us know is iMessage uses end-to-end encryption that even Apple or anyone else can not access or read your messages, but what we don’t know is backed up messages to Apple'siCloud service are vulnerable to federal warrants.

With iCloud Backup enabled, the copies of all your messages, photographs and every important data stored on your iPhone or iPad are encrypted on iCloud using a key controlled by Apple, and not you.

This would allow Apple and hence, anyone who breaks into your account, to read your messages and see your personal and confidential data.

List of Apple Apps you Might See on Android

Besides iMessages, the list of Apple apps that you could see expanded to Android may include iTunes, Music Memos, Apple Maps, and iCloud.

In September, the company released its first-ever Android application, known as Move to iOS, designed to help Android users transfer their content quickly and safely from an Android device to an iOS device.

Although it is yet unclear when Apple will make the move, if this happens anytime soon, Which one of your favorite Apple apps you want to see on your Android devices? 

Let me know in the comments below.