:-( Just sad

I have an older laptop I use with Win7+IE for accessing services (e.g. HP iLO) where the remote console won't work on contemporary browsers. I always thought that - as an end-of-life system - Windows 7 would be largely left alone by Microsoft

One night it did an update, and there was Edge.

No opt-in beforehand.

I forget exactly what it asks - but the Uninstall option asked something like 'do you want to keep Edge' and 'Do you want to reinstall it later?' or something similar. It was as though they wanted to have a record of a 'soft' opt-in where No really means maybe yes

If I wanted to use a different browser I could have installed Chrome or Firefox.

... I'm having a hard time accepting that Neuromancer was written in 1984 , and an even harder time that he is 71 ! Wow - amazed !

The March rollup comes with several issues that make it a bit of a risk in itself to deploy (https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/4088875/windows-7-update-kb4088875). Of note:

• A new Ethernet virtual Network Interface Card (vNIC) that has default settings may replace the previously existing vNIC, causing network issues after you apply this update. Any custom settings on the previous vNIC persist in the registry but are unused.

  Static IP address settings are lost after you apply this update.

  In both instances the advisory states that "Microsoft is working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release."

... Hollywood has a habit of hacking good stories to garbage to fit their perceived demographics, and the Culture novels are simply AWESOME !

Fantastic dream however :-)

I ditched my Samsung phone because of the horrible software they jammed into Android - bloatware of the first order that ruined it compared to Google's phones.

If their Linux implementations have the same stuff stuck in and are dependant on Samsung support for ongoing updates then count me out.

I have been shopping around for one of these - now it's just not going to happen. Talk about exploiting your customers :-(

When I was a kid there were always bees and dragonflies around. Now the only bees you see are the introduced ones (I live in Tasmania - someone solved the pollination problem way illegally importing them and releasing them). I miss the dragonflies though - as far as your average bug goes they were always the most exciting thing on the wing. We still seem to have wasps though - they seem to be thriving :-(

What's the point of this gadget ?

All you need to do is buy an Android Phone, an iPhone case, and glue them together. Kickstarter is getting really weird tehse days :-(

Does this device sound like an IoT gadget ?

From reading the article (yes - I know - and no I'm not new here) it's nasty piece of telephony hardware and more like a router than anything else. I know it's a current meme to thrash IoT as a platform but this is not a case of a programmer taking shortcuts on a feature constrained device, but rather a programmer or designer who is just dumb. This has been a problem long before the IoT ever came around.

The idea behind these devices is that they are a cheaper version of the Raspberry Pi, however they are never available at the listed price. You can get the Zero's - as part of a bundle with a range of marked up peripherals you probably already have, so it's likely to be just another PR stunt.

If you are after a small, embeddable Linux+ARM device I'd recommend you forget the Raspberry Pi and get an Orange Pi Zero. They exist, you can buy them of AliExpress, and they work just fine.

Is the next step the certification of cloud providers by Canonical?

They may be somewhat shy of naming vendors who are bastardising their product and compromising the security, updatability and maintainability of their pre-packaged images, but maybe another approach is for Canonical (and other Linux vendors) to come up with a certification model? That way if you play nice you get to use the logo, and if you lie you can be sued.

That way customers can quickly tell which vendors are more reputable than others.

The business model has been around for years and would help sort out the better vendors from the worse.

If they need the microphone to be on at all times, why do they provide a 'sham' feature that gives their users the impression that the microphone can be turned off ?

If the requirement to be listening permanently is reasonable, then surely their users would understand and accept this as part of using their application?

I don't see how sending explosive devices in the post is lawful. The fact that the manufacturer believes there is a risk of fire is a clear indicator that these are dangerous items.

Worst of all, if one does catch fire in transit, the sender (not Samsung) will be liable for the consequences.

It's really disappointing to see a company like Samsung handle this so badly

The only sensible option is to return it to the point of sale for a refund. Failing that, people should be contacting Samsung so that they (and not the customer) are responsible for the safe packaging and transport of these devices.

Interesting approach to the problem:

On one hand they are fulfilling their duty of care by disclosing this information to the public so they can make an informed decision; and

On the other hand they are protecting their shareholders by suggesting that the devices are safe and people can continue to use them.

It's a sad thing when the profit motive is put ahead of patient safety, however I suspect we will see a lot more of this as the 'Internet of Things' and 'eHealth' agendas collide on the desk of medical professionals who think they are experts but in fact are not.

Welcome to the impending risk of death by technology.