Jees, does no one READ anymore? This is why I gave up on Slashdot. Nokia alleged to say no backdoors in their hardware, someone claims data being sent to MSFT from handsets regardless. No shit,Sherlock. In the absence of any details, let alone evidence or proof, this looks bloody spurious to me. I would expect the MS services on the phone to talk to Redmond exactly as they tell you they will when you agree to it for basic services e.g. location services. The article itself is classic FUD with zero content. Read it again. And don't post AC.

It's mandatory to have a Microsoft account with Windows Phone, much like it's mandatory to have a Gmail account for Android and an Apple ID for iOS. You don't have to use the services though, and WP8 is pretty good at explicitly telling you what data it would like and giving you the option of opting out.

Because it happens all the time - people like to read sensationalist news, people like to be outraged and site owners love page clicks. Go and read TFA. There is zero content in it. It's not even a theory, it's a vague bit of sensationalism and until it's backed up with data it should be treated as such.

Full disclosure: I do work for MS, but miles and miles away from any of this kind of thing so I don't have any insight other than Occam's Razor. When you read TFA, there isn't any data in there. It doesn't actually SAY anything.

This looks like a mountain being made out of a molehill. From TFA: "Lumia phones do not ensure the user’s privacy – at least no better than the phones of other big manufacturers"
When you use a WP8 device, you are signed in using a Microsoft Account. Features like SMS backup, location services such as "Find My Phone" etc need to send data back to MS in order to work. In fact when you first sign into a phone this is made explicitly clear, as it is during the install of any apps on the phone that require, say, location based services. So whilst the implication of this article appears to be that there's something shady and underhand going on, until someone shows me a wireshark trace that shows it, I'm calling BS.

Just use free stuff like sketch up to create the stl files then. U don't have to buy Photoshop. Although if you're an imaging professional you always end up with PS eventually...

Some more features that I won't know how to use in PS! Seriously, this is great. But it does make PS even more intimidating - wow, the learning curve is already steep!

And you're an anonymous coward! Jees, now I remember why I've not logged in here for a while. Did I say that it would be plugged in? Did I say I was sceptical it was true? No. I just asked if any physical evidence had been seen in the wild. Better men than you posted some great links from Spiegel with the details. Grow up.

Great post. Thanks. Somehow seeing the internal advertising for these devices and unit costs etc makes it even scarier. The radar-illuminated VGA reading device is astonishing.

That's kind of my thinking - that they would have to replace a discrete part within the laptop - possibly a motherboard, more likely a daughterboard or mini PCI device like a wifi card. If you replace the motherboard you'd have to deal with BIOS serial numbers etc which would be a PITA. The only way I can see this working is if it were done at a component level. Presumably the device would need to be connected to a data bus, e.g. USB/SATA? Or memory?

Genuine question - where are these devices? Has any physical evidence of them been detected? Has anyone found one? I'm not sceptical that they did it, I think it's entirely possible. I'm just curious if there's any physical evidence that's been found yet...?

Nah, I hate it. The number of issues it causes on Windows Servers is substantial, and at a really hacky low level which is expensive and time consuming to troubleshoot.

Not sure that's the same thing. I've known of tools to recode alarm fobs to a car for VW for years (and have used them when I've broken a transponder and didn't want to pay £200 for a replacement from the dealer) but they all require access to the car - e.g. either ODBII interface that's usually under the steering wheel on the underside of the dash (and which needs the key present to power up), or need the old physical key to be inserted and flicked on / off in the ignition. Both options need the car to be unlocked and a key of some sort present. This isn't the same as a drive-by tool that automagically unlocks cars on the street, unless I'm missing something?

Now *that's* an interesting theory. Powered by the only resource that never runs out - individual greed...