Mandrake 8.2 Beta 3 is out
Posted by Steven Parker on 21 February 2002 - 10:49 · no comments & 92 views
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Full name: Steven Parker
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Mandrake Linux is a powerful operating system that is available for many platforms: 32 bit processors such as Intel Pentium®, AMD Athlon®, PowerPC®; and 64 bit processors such as Intel Itanium®, SPARC®, AXP®. Mandrake Linux includes many graphical administration assistants & wizards that make it intuitive and fun to use while providing all the power and robustness of other Linux systems. Hundreds of included applications make it an ideal solution for both enterprises and individual users.
The new version released with Windows XP last fall also added the same technology for DVD movies.
Microsoft's original privacy statement informed customers that they were downloading the information about CDs but never stated it was being stored in a log file on each computer.
The new statement makes clear that information is being downloaded for both DVDs and CDs, but does not explain how users can eliminate or get into the log file.
"It definitely could have been clearer and more specific about DVDs," Caulton said.
Clearing the list of songs and movie titles would cripple Media Player. Stopping the program from collecting any more information would mean changing the software's settings, but that would disable Internet broadcasts.
As part of downloading the information about songs and movies from the Web site, the program also transmits an identifier number unique to each user on the computer. That creates the possibility that user habits could be tracked and sold for marketing purposes.
Privacy experts said they feared the log file could be used by investigators, divorce lawyers, snooping family members, marketing companies or others interested in learning about a person's entertainment habits. It also could be used to make sure users have paid for the music or movie, and have not made an illegal copy.
"The big picture might be the owners of intellectual property wanting to track access to their property," said Peter Swire, a law professor at Ohio State University.
Microsoft said the program creates the log file so a user does not have to download repeatedly the same track, album or movie information. The company said the ID number was created simply to allow Media Players users to have a personal account on the Web site dealing with the software.
Neither is sold or shared with others, and no information is collected on Microsoft's servers that would be personally identifiable, officials said.
"This is essentially a case where it (the ID) doesn't serve any purpose and it isn't used," Caulton said.
Jonathan Usher, another Windows Media executive, said Microsoft has no plans to market aggregate information about its customers' viewing habits, but would not rule it out.
"If users tell us that they want the ability to get recommendations, that's something we could look into on the behalf of users," Usher said.
In a recent memo, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates ordered his company to check for privacy and security concerns before adding new features.
"Users should be in control of how their data is used," Gates wrote. "Policies for information use should be clear to the user. Users should be in control of when and if they receive information to make best use of their time."
Privacy researcher Richard Smith, who researched how Media Player stored and transmitted the information, questioned why the program has to give chapter information for DVDs at all because almost all discs have chapter listings in an interactive menu within the movie.
He said the feature seems to conflict with Gates' directive.
"You can really see the Microsoft culture coming through that Gates wants to change. These guys are digging in their heels," he said.