With iPhone, 'Security' Is Code for 'Control'
,----[ Quote ]
| With enough lock-in, a company can protect its market share even as it
| reduces customer service, raises prices, refuses to innovate and otherwise
| abuses its customer base. It should be no surprise that this sounds like
| pretty much every experience you've had with IT companies: Once the industry
| discovered lock-in, everyone started figuring out how to get as much of it as
| they can.
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http://wired.com/politics/security/commentary/securitymatters/2008/02/securitymatters_0207
Like 'protecting' content (music).
Or 'protecting' Web users from "unhealthy content".
Yesterday:
Microsoft Cuts Off Access To Old Documents
,----[ Quote ]
| With the blink of a 117 MB download (and an even lengthier installation
| process), Office users will no longer be able to open files in 24 older file
| formats. That means users – citizens, government employees, small business
| owners, etc. – will not be able to open their own documents saved in file
| formats used by Corel (Wordperfect), Lotus, and most versions of MS Office
| products before 2000. Instead, users will see the not-so-user-friendly
| statement below:
|
| “You are attempting to open a file type that is blocked by your registry
| policy setting.”
|
| When a user attempts to open one of these older files, they will receive the
| above in a dialog box and no alternative actions are given to help users get
| access to their information in these “blocked” files.
`----
http://www.fanaticattack.com/2008/microsoft-cuts-off-access-to-old-documents.html
Related:
Microsoft insults our intelligence on Virtualization security
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft has once again pulled out the security argument for its
| decision again and I must say that I find it rather insulting. It’s
| not that I think Microsoft doesn’t have a right as a private business
| to set the terms of the EULA as they see fit, but don’t take us for f
| ools. If they want to restrict Virtualization, just come out and
| say it and don’t make up ridiculous excuses for it.
|
| [...]
|
| Trying to stop a Hypervisor Rootkit with a EULA is like trying to
| stop Malware with a EULA.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/?p=549
Is need for control behind Microsoft's flip-flop?
,----[ Quote ]
| Meanwhile, Gartner analyst Michael Silver took Microsoft to task
| for its continued restrictions.
|
| "Microsoft's policies...come off as a way to gouge customers," Silver
| said in an e-mail, noting that customers are forced to pay for higher
| priced editions, even though they don't get many of the benefits, like
| the Aero user interface, which often won't work in a virtual machine.
|
| Silver argues that Microsoft is likely leaving money on the table.
| "Allowing use of lower priced (editions) could even be worth more
| money to Microsoft as it would likely increase the number of people
| that would legally run a Microsoft OS in a VM (like on a Mac),"
| Silver wrote. "Eventually they will have no choice but to make their
| peace with virtualization."
`----
http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9733433-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
Vista Home Editions Won't Run On Mac, Linux Virtual Machines
,----[ Quote ]
| That means Linux aficionados or users of Apple Macs will not legally
| be able to use software from vendors such as Parallels or EMC's VMWare
| to create so-called virtual machines on their desktops to run Vista
| alongside their favorite OS. Windows users wanting to run Vista in a
| virtual machine environment for security or productivity purposes
| also will need either the Business or Ultimate Edition.
`----
http://www.channelweb.com/sections/allnews/article.jhtml?articleId=197003013&cid=ChannelWebNews
http://tinyurl.com/39xozq
Microsoft flip-flops on Vista virtualization
,----[ Quote ]
| Software like Parallels Desktop for the Mac or Microsoft's own Virtual
| PC for Windows allow multiple operating systems to run simultaneously.
| When it announced licensing rules for Vista last year, Microsoft said
| that only Vista Business and Vista Ultimate could run as guest
| operating systems. The company said virtualization presents inherent
| security risks and that it hoped by limiting which versions of the OS
| could act as virtual machines, only sophisticated users and businesses
| would employ the tactic.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6191787.html
|
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