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While Windows 10 has been generally well reviewed my users, fans of privacy are having a field day with how invasive the new operating system is.

Since the OS went into Technical Preview last year, security experts (and others) have warned that Windows 10 has a keylogger built-in and unfortunately, that keylogger is still there in the final retail version.

Microsoft, for their part, has never tried to hide it: "When you interact with your Windows device by speaking, writing (handwriting), or typing, Microsoft collects speech, inking, and typing information--including information about your Calendar and People (also known as contacts)," reads their own FAQ.

Thankfully, the keylogger can be turned off rather simply if you follow the following steps:

Microsoft is now downloading Windows 10 installation files to your PC, even if you didn't ask for it nor have enough available hard drive space for it.

Disgustingly, Microsoft is using their "automatic updates" system to download the files to eligible PCs (Windows 7 or Windows 8.1) and the installation files take up about 6GB of space. Making it worse is the fact that you will get the files even if you have not "reserved" the upgrade to the new operating system.

There are a few major problems with Microsoft's move. First, many of the people getting the files don't want to upgrade to Windows 10, free or not. Ever. Second, there are plenty of laptops out there running on SSD drives that may not be expecting an extra 6GB of space to suddenly disappear. Finally, there are still consumers out there with hard caps on how much bandwidth they can use on a monthly basis. No one wants to get their data maxed out by an unexpected download they didn't ask for.

Microsoft seems to want to make sure they can keep adding milestone numbers to their Windows 10 install figures, but this is the wrong way to go about it. Thankfully, with a little Windows know-how, you can get rid of the files. Enable hidden folders in your root folder and look for the $WINDOWS.BT folder. Your installation will be hiding out in there.

As part of the 30-year anniversary celebration of the launch of Mario, creator Shigeru Miyamoto revealed which myths about the classic games are true and which are not.

The new video, which also promotes the upcoming 'Super Mario Maker,' has Miyamoto basically shaking his head yes or no to a bunch of urban myths about Mario that have been around for years but never confirmed.

Finally confirmed is how Mario's name came to be. Nintendo of America was leasing a warehouse from a landlord named Mario Segale in the early 80s (before Donkey Kong and Mario) and actually fell behind on rent. Segale granted them extra time to pay and out of gratitude Mario the character got his name.

Additionally, it has long been speculated that Super Mario Bros. 3 was really a theatrical performance, and Miyamoto confirmed that. Finally, Miyamoto also notes the he is the mom of Bowser Jr., the son of the monstrous Bowser. How that works, who knows.

The video is short and worth watching:

According to new reports, Sony Pictures considered buying Netflix or BitTorrent back in 2006 but obviously backed out.

In fact, BitTorrent was higher on the short list of potential acquisitions by the studio, who also looked at TiVo and Starz Media.

Sony praised BitTorrent's effectiveness for downloading large quantities of online media, and Sony was actively trying to "build a substantial presence in aggregation, distribution and services businesses that complement the core business."

The company was looking to invest between $2 and $4 billion to make their goals a reality, and BitTorrent was valued at around $100 million at the time. Even Netflix, which is now the king of streaming, was only worth $1.2 billion back then and could have been purchased even at a premium. Netflix is now valued at over $40 billion.

In the end, Sony bought a large stake in Starz and purchased video streaming service Grouper which was rebranded as Crackle. Crackle offers free streaming of Sony content, with commercials and is available via set-top boxes, gaming consoles and PCs.

Microsoft has quietly acquired Double Labs, the developer behind the Android app Echo Notification Lockscreen.

The app, which has been downloaded over 2 million times, allows users to personalize the lock screen of their device, including sorting your notifications by categories of your choosing such as "social" or "priority."

Microsoft actually already has an Android lockscreen app, that is equally as popular as Echo, although aesthetically it cannot compete against Echo.

According to Microsoft Chief Experience Officer Julie Larson-Green, the new acquisition is about "[taking] productivity to the next level" and "[keeping] you in the moment." But what's wrong with the default lockscreen? "It's a list of what apps want you to know, not necessarily what's important to you," Larson-Green added.

Source:
BI

According to Apple fan Philip Elmer-DeWitt at Fortune, the new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are already on significant back order in China.

The rose gold iPhones appear to be the most popular (or the least in stock) as around the world it has been selling out earliest.

Apple has already begun accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK, and the United States with more to come in the following weeks and months.

In the U.S., the iPhone 6S is in ample supply and available through all major carriers without any delay (shipping date September 25th) while the 6S Plus is running into large delays (unless you have AT&T for some reason).

Check availability here: iPhone Inventory

Angry Birds creator Rovio is trying its hand at puzzle games again, launching the 'Nibblers,' "a delicious new matching game with cute characters and fresh and fruity puzzle gameplay."

While it is hard to argue that game does not have cute characters (it certainly does), this is Rovio's second game of the same type in the last year. 'Jolly Jams' launched earlier this year with cute characters and matching features and so far has not been a hit despite good reviews.

The puzzle matching game lets you match fruits and your Nibblers have special abilities that can help as you advance through 200 levels.

"We're thrilled to bring a completely new IP to the mobile gaming scene," says Heini Kaihu, Head of Studio at Rovio. "Nibblers may be newly evolved creatures, but fans of our other games will recognize the Rovio touches – strong characters, beautiful visuals, and a lush soundtrack recorded with live orchestra and soloists. This will be a game you want to return to again and again."

Kabam's new 'Star Wars: Uprising' is now available for download, with the game being the "first Star Wars RPG set between Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

The game has been teased for a few weeks for iOS and Android and so far critical reception seems mixed at best, although many appear to be having issues with installation which will likely get fixed soon.

Within the game, you get to build your own character and perform missions in well known locations (like Cloud City) and there are also co-op modes so you and buddies can take on the Empire together.

As with most games available now, Uprising is free to play but requires money to power up.

Stephen Colbert, new host of CBS's The Late Show, will have Apple CEO Tim Cook on the show next Tuesday, September 15th.

To promote the show and guest, Colbert tweeted "Siri, put Apple CEO Tim Cook on my calendar for Tuesday, Sept. 15. Oh, and come up with some questions to ask him," while dictating to an Apple Watch.

Colbert has actually promoted Apple products in the past on his previous show, The Colbert Report, so it is likely the two will discuss Apple's newly announced iPhone 6S, Apple TV and more.

The Late Show airs at 11:35PM eastern time.

During the past couple of years Sony has been introducing waterproof phones left and right. Xperia series is full of flagship phones and midrange ones that are in most cases IP68 certified. But now the company wants you not to use them in the water.

Xperia Blog has found out that Sony has changed its policy on water protection. While the IP68 certified phones have been tested to endure 30 minutes of water in 1,5 meters (5 feet) the company says users should not do that.

The Xperia Care webpage declares: "Taking photos and movies in wet surroundings. Remember not to use the device underwater. If you accidentally get the device wet with non-fresh water, wash the device with tap water." and "The IP rating of your device was achieved in laboratory conditions in standby mode, so you should not use the device underwater, such as taking pictures. Do not use the device to take photos while performing any type of activity underwater, including diving or snorkeling."

So in essence the phones should indeed be good to go if all the plugs and connector protectors the phones comes with are used but the company doesn't want to take the chance that people misuse the phones – or use at all – under water.

Chinese OEM Alcatel has announced it will launch a Windows 10 smartphone before the end of the year.

"We are very supportive of the Windows ecosystem," said Alcatel OneTouch SVP Steve Cistulli.

Cistulli's confirmation follows Evan Blass' leak earlier this week about the Alcatel Fierce XL. According to the notorious leaker, the Alcatel OneTouch Fierce XL with Windows 10 will feature a 5.5-inch 720p display, a Snapdragon 210 processor (quad-core at 4 x 1.1GHz), 2GB RAM, dual cameras 8MP/2MP and a 2500mAh battery.

Microsoft has found support for Windows Phone tough to come by since they acquired the handset business of Nokia but the purchase has been one of the biggest flops in the company's history, and that is saying a lot. Microsoft recently wrote off a $7.6 billion loss related to the acquisition.

At 4 percent share of the global markets, Microsoft needs all the help it can get before it unveils its highly anticipated flagship "Cityman" and "Talkman" phones before the end of the year.

The world's third largest PC maker will make a massive $125 billion investment in China.

Dell says the company is actively looking to expand in the world's most populous nation and the investment will sustain one million jobs in the country.

"The Internet is the new engine for China's future economic growth and has unlimited potential," CEO Michael Dell said. "Dell will embrace the principle of 'In China, for China' and closely integrate Dell China strategies with national policies."

Dell will have some serious competition with home favorite Lenovo, but it's clear Dell is willing to play.

Apple has announced that its new operating system 'El Capitan' will be available on September 30th.

The operating system will serve to improve system performance and "the Mac experience" by better adding Apple Metal, the company's own graphics technology. Apple says Metal will allow games and pro apps to "tap into the full power of Mac graphics processors."

Additionally, Apple has updated windows management, made improvements to the pre-installed apps and Spotlight search, and improved the startup speed of apps, emails and music. El Capitan also adds a split screen view for multi-taskers and better copy/drag-and-drop options for Notes.

"OS X delivers unparalleled integration between Mac hardware, iOS devices, apps and online services, and has helped Mac sales outpace the PC industry every year for the last decade," said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering earlier this year. "Customers loved last year's landmark OS X Yosemite release and made it the fastest-adopted PC operating system ever. With El Capitan, we're further refining the Mac experience with enhancements to window management, Spotlight and built-in apps, and improving performance so everyday activities -- from launching apps to accessing email -- are faster and more responsive."

Even though the date was leaked over a month ago, we now have official recognition from Microsoft.

Microsoft says the new Office suite will be "broadly available" on September 22nd, following months of testing by private beta testers, developers and IT professionals.

Of note, Office 2016 adds collaborative co-editing in the cloud (just like Office Online users have had), and will generally make syncing to the cloud easier.

While the new announcement does not include Mac availability, the 2016 version has been available as part of Office 365 since July. Microsoft did note at the time that a standalone version would be available in the future.

Google has announced the official U.S. launch of Android Pay, the mobile payments tech that will allow you to use your phone to pay at millions of retail locations.

The company says the service is live now, but will be rolling out in the coming days.

To use Android Pay, you need an NFC-enabled Android device with Android 4.4 or later. The service supports credit and debit cards from AmEx, Discover, MasterCard and Visa as well as gift cards, loyalty cards and store cards. Notably, most of the largest banks are supported but Wells Fargo, Capital One and Citi are "coming soon."

In regards to security, Google was very quick to note how secure using the service will be: "We know how important it is to keep your personal and financial information secure, so Android Pay is supported by industry standard tokenization. This means your real credit or debit card number isn't sent with your payment. Instead, we'll use a virtual account number that provides an extra layer of security. As soon as you make a purchase, you'll see a payment confirmation that shows where a given transaction happened, so it's easy to catch any suspicious activity. And if your phone is ever lost or stolen, simply use Android Device Manager to instantly lock your device from anywhere, secure it with a new password, or even wipe it clean of your personal information."