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if you really want to give him a 'real' computer, how about an old eeepc 701? It's cheap, won't break easily, the size and the weight are right for a 7-year old and you can simply install some educational Linux distro to get him started.
x0d writes: "Windows 8 has a new featured called Windows SmartScreen, which is turned on by default. Windows SmartScreen’s purpose is to “screen” every single application you try to install from the Internet in order to inform you whether it’s safe to proceed with installing it or not. There are a few serious problems here. The big problem is that Windows 8 is configured to immediately tell Microsoft about every app you download and install. This problem can however get even more serious: It may be possible to intercept SmartScreen’s communications to Microsoft and thus learn about every single application downloaded and installed by a target."
musicon writes: "According to Nadim Kobeissi, Windows 8 is configured by default (using a new featured called Windows SmartScreen) to immediately tell Microsoft about every app you download and install. This is a very serious privacy problem, specifically because Microsoft is the central point of authority and data collection/retention here and therefore becomes vulnerable to being served judicial subpoenas or National Security Letters intended to monitor targeted users. This situation is exacerbated when Windows 8 is deployed in countries experiencing political turmoil or repressive political situations.
Additionally, it may be possible for a 3rd party to intercept SmartScreen’s communications to Microsoft and thus learn about every single application downloaded and installed by a target."
x0d writes: "Yahoo appears to have been the victim of a security breach that yielded more than 400,000 login credentials stored in plain text.
The hacked data, posted to hacker site D33D Company, contained more than 453,000 login credentials and appears to have originated from the Web pioneer's network. The hackers, who said they used a union-based SQL injection technique to penetrate the Yahoo subdomain, intended the data dump to be a 'wake-up call.'"
that may be true, but since WP has next to none user adoption, they will have to bring something new to the table if they want those phones to sell, right?
x0d writes: "Google this morning disclosed in a blog post that it has acquired Quickoffice, a Plano, Texas company which offers software for editing, viewing and creating Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents on a mobile device. Terms were not disclosed."
x0d writes: "Google Inc. said it filed an antitrust complaint Thursday in Europe arguing that Microsoft Corp. MSFT -0.51% and Nokia Corp. are using proxy companies to brandish patents and hurt the prospects of Google's Android mobile-phone software to the advantage of Microsoft's technology. The Internet-search giant alleges that Microsoft and Nokia have entered into agreements that enable entities such as Canada-based Mosaid Technologies Inc. to legally enforce their patent rights and share the resulting revenue."
judgecorp writes: "Google has applied for the.lol domain in ICANN's sale of generic top level domains (gTLDs). Google also asked for.google,.docs, and.youtube at a cost of $185,000 each, in the round of applications which has finally closed. A glitch in the application system may have leaked some of applicants' data other applicants.."
x0d writes: "The Facebook spending spree may be continuing as a new report says the social networking giant might be looking to buy Norwegian company Opera Software. Now fully under the microscope of Wall Street as well as Main Street investors, Facebook is trying to solve its mobile monetizing problems and has been gobbling up various companies in recent months to increase its presence in the world of smartphones."