Microsoft charges the FBI millions for access to user data

Microsoft makes loads of money off things other than Windows and Office. You probably know about the millions they make from other companies selling Android devices, but what about the millions they rake in charging the FBI for access to user data?

Microsoft Says: Come Back with a Warrant, Unless You’re Microsoft

EFF has long argued that law enforcement agencies must get a warrant when they ask Internet companies for the content of their users’ communications. In 2013, as part of our annual Who Has Your Back report, we started awarding stars to companies that require warrants for content. It is now unclear whether Microsoft, one of our inaugural “gold star” companies in that category, is willing to live by its own maxim.

This controversy was brought to light by the arrest of an ex-Microsoft employee named Alex Kibkalo. According to a criminal complaint sworn in a Seattle federal court, Kibkalo stole proprietary information from Microsoft, including its Activation Server Software Development Kit (SDK), and passed the code to a French blogger.

violation of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, ECPA

Courts do not issue orders authorizing someone to search themselves, since obviously no such order is needed.  So even when we believe we have probable cause, it’s not feasible to ask a court to order us to search ourselves. 

And according to Section 3.5, one of the ways users can violate the agreement and thus give Microsoft “permission” to access their content is to email content that violates the company’s Code of Conduct. Spoiler alert: the Code of Conduct is ridiculously broad.

Engaging pupils with technology

ICT is taught a lot in schools, but there is not enough ICT used to teach ---- Steve Beswick, director, education, Microsoft  

Microsoft is inspiring teachers, through the use of a forum, to find out new and interesting ways in which technology can be used within lessons.

“We are delivering against a vision – any time, anywhere learning for all," said Beswick. "This will be achieved through the use of technology. It is about enabling all children to have access to technology, not just the ones that can afford it. Children may not know they have a talent, until they have the chance to work with technology. This in turn will lead to more computer scientists in the future.”

“Through using the Xbox, children have linked technology into their literacy lessons. The Xbox is a gaming experience, where they use the Xbox controller to write a story which is programmed,” he added.

To connect school leaders around the world, we have created a global community on the Partners in Learning Network where school leaders with common interests can share their experiences and connect with one another. We encourage members of the global community to organize local school communities, visits to other Partners in Learning Schools, hold local workshops, and share best practices.

Information technology trends 2013: figuring out how to manage the personal media tablets, notebook computers and smartphones that people are sneaking into the workplace/school, brace yourself. The trend will accelerate in 2013.

The most commonly supported devices are smartphones, followed by tablets, the data shows. But we definitely are starting to see more widespread adoption of BYOD," said Dave Casey, CEO of Westron Communications Inc., a network integrator in Frisco, Texas. "It's been slower than expected, but it's coming."

The BYOD trend is having a related effect at the infrastructure level, often in the form of corporate wireless network investments. "Companies are struggling to keep up with the fact that so many devices are competing for a connection," Casey said.

Microsoft's Surface Tablet:Summary: Surface Hardware and Software

Summary: Surface Windows RT  Hardware and Software by Mark Minasi



"The Surface hardware is an impressive tablet in many ways and a worthy competitor to the iPad. Surface's pathbreaking keyboard cover, numerous easy options for add-on storage, superior wireless networking and USB port will make iPad owners jealous, at least until they see that the Surface inexplicably lacks 3G or 4G, although honestly given no shortage of small, easily-portable, inexpensive hotspots, that may not be the dealbreaker that it seems at first glance. Having to buy overpriced cables for video and having to deal with a lame magnetic power connector are negatives but not significant ones."   "Windows RT is horribly lacking in available applications at the moment, but Microsoft includes Office 2013’s Word, PowerPoint and Excel in every copy of RT. RT Office is almost good enough to make up for the lack of apps, but it lacks Outlook. Instead, you get some weak contacts / email / calendar tools, and no syncing of your Outlook notes.  Many people will, however, overlook that annoyance because the Surface includes a version of Internet Explorer that lets you visit Flash sites, if puzzlingly not Silverlight sites.  Overall, I like the Surface quite a bit, but it hasn't entirely replaced my iPad yet — for now, they're cohabitating in my bag"   "The Surface's operating system software — Windows RT — is solid in a way that the iPad is not and surprisingly replete with drivers."     "The Surface turns out to be a visually pleasing, light and useful tablet, but with a cover that doubles as a quite functional keyboard and what may be the first touchpad that hasn’t raised my blood pressure. Why a touchpad?  As you'll read later, RT has two very different desktops, the "runs old Windows apps" Desktop and the "runs new tablet apps" Start Screen.  The Start Screen's great with big fat human fingers, but the old Desktop still needs you to click little check boxes, small text fields, and tiny "close" icons.  The 3G broadband hardware:  It ain’t there. Just Wi-Fi.  This is by far the biggest screwup hardware-wise in the Surface, no questions about it and maybe a fatal screwup..."   Wireless: Yeah, I’m bugged that there’s no 3G/4G. But the wireless is pretty good, I have to say. Recently I was just sitting in an airport restaurant and thought I might just indulge myself and get an Internet connection for the hour I’d be waiting (I hadn't gotten the hotspot yet), so I clicked the Settings charm and found several hotspots, but none more than a bar. Bummer, I thought, I bet the iPad would have done better, so I pulled it out, sat it next to the Surface, and …

Nothing.

It couldn’t see a single hotspot. I had seven on the Surface, zero on the iPad. Later, on the plane...  Surface saw five networks, the iPad saw two. When I got to my hotel, I tried again and the iPad saw two, the Surface saw nine. Nice antenna. (It’s a “MIMO” or something like that, and I have idea what that means, nor do I care, but I will certainly be looking for it in the future.)

Encryption:  RT also has Bitlocker, the drive encryption tool that makes it tougher for bad guys to extract data from a stolen or lost tablet.  Even better, it's on by default -- my C: is encrypted.  The iPad has nothing like that, but on the other hand the iPad has that wonderful free "find my iPad" feature.  I'd sooo like to see that for the Surface.

the Surface is "the writer’s tablet."



Mark Minasi

Home | Teach.gov

Home | Teach.gov

ED’s new partner in teacher recruitment: Microsoft Software giant wins competition to take over the federal TEACH campaign and website

“In many ways, [this project] encapsulates the power of partnerships, the promise of technology, and the benefits of international collaboration to strengthen the teaching profession,” said Education Secretary Arne Duncan at a keynote speech during Microsoft’s Partners in Learning Global Forum.
In the coming months, Microsoft will be moving the site from http://www.teach.gov to http://www.teach.org and will work to form a coalition of other private-sector companies that care about education, the company said.