Windows 8 Consumer Preview

[Diesal]

How does Windows 8 get my location (my exact location, if it zoom in its on my house) when my laptop doesn't have a location sensor/GPS (well Acer didn't say it has one), does it use somehow tie my location to my phone or something.

You can understand why this is a bit disturbing because I have authorised random apps access to my loaction thinking that it doesn't stand a chance in hell of locating me.

 

[wily me]

How does Windows 8 get my location (my exact location, if it zoom in its on my house) when my laptop doesn't have a location sensor/GPS (well Acer didn't say it has one), does it use somehow tie my location to my phone or something.

You can understand why this is a bit disturbing because I have authorised random apps access to my loaction thinking that it doesn't stand a chance in hell of locating me.

Big brother, you are now officially under surveillance.

 

[Elimentals]

How does Windows 8 get my location (my exact location, if it zoom in its on my house) when my laptop doesn't have a location sensor/GPS (well Acer didn't say it has one), does it use somehow tie my location to my phone or something.

You can understand why this is a bit disturbing because I have authorised random apps access to my loaction thinking that it doesn't stand a chance in hell of locating me.

WiFi + Google Maps car drive-by and collecting your data

Well I guess they tapping into that as I know Google maps do it, cause when I moved back to SA from NZ it kept on starting me off at my old house in NZ, even on my new phone that never saw NZ. On the plus side its now fixed as it shows me in PE again.

 

[Tun@]

How does Windows 8 get my location (my exact location, if it zoom in its on my house) when my laptop doesn't have a location sensor/GPS (well Acer didn't say it has one), does it use somehow tie my location to my phone or something.

You can understand why this is a bit disturbing because I have authorised random apps access to my loaction thinking that it doesn't stand a chance in hell of locating me.

Your ****ting me,do you give your address in twitter/bookface or something or are you using your ph as a modem?

 

[Elimentals]

Your ****ting me,do you give your address in twitter/bookface or something or are you using your ph as a modem?

Nope, not using that data at all. Clean install, only connecting to my neighbors wifi and it picks my address dead on. With a local account and no facebook(Not that I use that crap anyway let alone fill in my data on it) or other set up.

It is actually rather disturbing that it can do that, more of a concern would be what other applications have access to that data.

Edit: Confirmed, when I remove the WiFi(USB) and connect to the Internet via my Linux PC(Cat5) it can not find my location. So they GPS mapped private WiFi routers.

 

[Tun@]

Unreal -i don't understand wifi too much but maybe its the same as cell ph towers & they can triangulate for a GPS position/fix

 

[Elimentals]

Unreal -i don't understand wifi too much but maybe its the same as cell ph towers & they can triangulate for a GPS position/fix

Nope, you can only use GPS to map it out.

But what can be done is devices with GPS can update a database on where they spotted some WiFi SSID's.

If you remember the scandal start of last year on the iPhones, it was this exact data that iOS never cleared off the phones. It since been updated to purge the data from the device every so often, but still gets pushed to Cupertino twice a day. Windows Phone does the same to Redmond, if you activate your location data and Android as well if you do not opt out. Only thing Windows 8 is doing is queering that database on the net with the SSID's its using/sees to get the GPS co-ords.

 

[xera]

So are you guys enjoying Windows 8?

I installed the developer preview in VirtualBox, didn't think much of the lame login screen... I haven't installed the new one yet.

 

[Fudzy]

Wigle?

 

[skimread]

So are you guys enjoying Windows 8?

I installed the developer preview in VirtualBox, didn't think much of the lame login screen... I haven't installed the new one yet.

I won't say enjoying it but it's better than developer preview. Most default Metro Apps removed and that windows non button thing is gone.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Will finally be getting my ass into gear and installing this this evening.

 

[Smiley_lauf]

Nope, you can only use GPS to map it out.

But what can be done is devices with GPS can update a database on where they spotted some WiFi SSID's.

If you remember the scandal start of last year on the iPhones, it was this exact data that iOS never cleared off the phones. It since been updated to purge the data from the device every so often, but still gets pushed to Cupertino twice a day. Windows Phone does the same to Redmond, if you activate your location data and Android as well if you do not opt out. Only thing Windows 8 is doing is queering that database on the net with the SSID's its using/sees to get the GPS co-ords.

In fact it pin-point the exact GPS coordinates and also the physical street address where the connection is being from--I am serious. Not sure how the weather applet and also the maps does this?? telkom lines, IP address?? how?

 

[Elimentals]

In fact it pin-point the exact GPS coordinates and also the physical street address where the connection is being from--I am serious. Not sure how the weather applet and also the maps does this?? telkom lines, IP address?? how?

You can not be serious?

Map's can be GPS's coordinated. You can try it with a Garmin, type in the GPS co-ords for your destination and it will get you driving instructions to an address. Or to test it, go to Google maps get the GPS co ords for your address and then search for it on Bing maps using the GPS data, there is nothing fishy on getting the address once you have something that you can referenced like SSID's that has been indexed with GPS data.

Besides I already indicated/tested that it stops working the moment you dont have WiFi connected.

Edit: Confirmed, when I remove the WiFi(USB) and connect to the Internet via my Linux PC(Cat5) it can not find my location. So they GPS mapped private WiFi routers.

To be more technically correct they probably using SSID + mac address for the index but for argument sake we will just say the SSID as the WiFi routers identity.

 

[Totempole]

Dear God!! Windows 8 is terrible for Desktop PC's and Notebooks!!!

What were Microsoft thinking trying to pass this OS off as a multi-platform OS?
I'm sure it suits Touch-Based Tablet PC's just fine, but I'm insulted, that they
would think this would go down well with someone who's used the Windows OS
on a Desktop PC for the past 17 years!

WTF were they thinking when they raplaced the "Start Menu" with that crappy
piece of **** "Start Screen" how difficult would it have been for them to include
a "Start Menu" as an option?

You can't even rename Icons on the "Start Screen" like for example change Weather
to Weather Report or Internet Explorer to just Internet, or even Mail to Hotmail, to
avoid confusion since I use Hotmail for Live Accounts and MS Outlook for Regular Mail.

I find myself using Alt+F4 or Ctrl+Alt+Delete more often than not because the Apps
included don't seem to have an actual close function, and run in the background when
you return to the Start Screen!

If I were ever forced to move to this abysmal excuse for an OS, I would download a
"Start Menu" app, and If no one has created one, I would create my own.

SHAME ON YOU MICROCRAP, SHAME ON YOU!!!
I can understand that this OS might make Tablet PC user's lives easier, but don't try
and pass this load of crap off to desktop PC users!

This isn't even really a new OS, it's just a butchered version of Windows 7!

If I had to choose between Windows Vista and Windows 8, I'd take Vista hands down.

 

[w1z4rd]

Ag I dont mind it much. Cant wait to see the polished version. It seems lighter. This is important to me. The lock screen rocks. Linux needs a lock screen like that

 

[Elimentals]

Ag I dont mind it much. Cant wait to see the polished version. It seems lighter. This is important to me. The lock screen rocks. Linux needs a lock screen like that

I would prefer the other way around, I love the fact that you can leave messages on Linux lock screens if the user is not at his desk.

 

[Lino]

Well been using this for a few days both on my one home PC and on my work laptop. The sheer fact that it is much leaner and lighter thus quicker than previous editions of Windows. Is a huge selling point for me.

I do feel there should be an option to have the old classic look, ie no Metro. Saying that I am forcing myself to use Metro and it actually makes a couple of tasks quicker and simpler. Looking forward to the final release of this os.

However if they don't change Metro then I don't look forward to supporting it!

 

[Arthur]

Dear God!! Windows 8 is terrible for Desktop PC's and Notebooks!!! ...
If I had to choose between Windows Vista and Windows 8, I'd take Vista hands down.

You're being a bit hasty, mate. Of course you can rename icons.

As for a Start Menu option - this is a beta to test response to Metro. Let them know. But ranting and denigrating will immediately discount any comments you make.

Apps Metro are automagically managed through a very sophisticated resource manager. Read about it on the Win8 blog. This is a beta, so get informed before emoting.

Abysmal? Yikes.

Not a new OS? Really? You judge an OS by the GUI? Again, the facts and reasons are available if you really care enough.

Otherwise just ignore it.

Take Vista hands down? Please do!

The more I use it the more I like it.

And it's F A S T and L I G H T. Serves up apps and data very niftily and then gets out of the way, just as a real OS should.

 

[w1z4rd]

Does anyone know if Win8 runs NTFS or have we finally moved away from that abortion to ReFS? The thing I hated the most about Windows is its file system. It would be great to have a better system.

After googling it seems theyre keeping the better file system for the server edition

 

[ToxicBunny]

91% installed now.... couple more minutes and i will hopefully be able to see what is what.