this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2024
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The app automatically installs Bing Visual Search and includes code to decrypt cookies saved in other browsers, Rivera said, and it also brings a "free" geolocation web API to the system.

The developer discovered "many" nasty tricks Microsoft integrated in Bing Wallpapers, which include trying to change the browser's settings and set Edge as the default system browser. If the default browser isn't Edge, the app will open the default browser after some time asking to enable the previously installed Microsoft Bing Search for Chrome extension.

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

Every time I see stuff like this it makes me slightly glad they got laughed out of the smart phone game. Can you imagine if a Microsoft mobile OS became a serious third between Android and iOS? I mean, those two aren't great by any stretch of the imagination (and are probably doing or planning similar shit), but Microsoft is just going gloves off at this point.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

If there was more competition they (probably) wouldn't be doing this stuff as people would leave.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I was actually a fan of Outlook for Android. Followed system dark mode before it was cool, had real multi account inbox, good wearos app, and other useful features. Then they started inserting Bing search into my long press menu system wide. And also recommending Edge when I clicked links. This kind of horizontal integration is just too baked into the company DNA. They can't help themselves, even when it actually harms them

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Yeah. On my work desktop, our IT people have told us to not use the Outlook program but rather to just go to the website. On my phone, I run it in Vivaldi instead of the app (which is a little jankie, but not as bad as it was running in Chrome or Firefox).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

What's the difference between horizontal and vertical integration? (I know a few business words but usually not enough to be intelligent, this is a genuine question of confusion)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Vertical would be if MS owned the carrier, the manufacturer, the operating system etc. Horizontal applies here where they own many interconnecting parts of the same layer of the market. Search, browser, email, etc, all being used to promote each other at the expense of competitors

[–] [email protected] 36 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

Why do people need an app for wallpapers? Just find some nice photos on Flickr, DeviantArt, whatever, save them all to a folder, and configure the OS to change it once per week.

Reminds me of the "free smileys" and "free mouse cursors" apps from the 2000s. I thought we had evolved past that.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 days ago (5 children)

How do you save a picture? Where is Downloads? How do you apply a saved picture as a wallpaper?

These are confusing questions to boomers and Gen Z.

Why not have a simple app which "automatically" does all the hard work (just in exchange of a little of your data)?

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I’m up to buy a new computer and I’ve never wanted a Macbook but with all the negative changes Microsoft is making I feel it is the time to make the switch.

Microsoft seems to think that we are the product and harvesting data is the default business model moving forward.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

May I interest you in Linux?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I’ve considered Linux. I work in IT and I know I could figure it out and adapt to it. The problem is my kids and my wife would also need to use it.

To give you some perspective on my decision making process. My wife (who is of the age where she really should be able to figure tech out.) can’t seem to figure out how to print from her phone and complained about how difficult IOS is compared to Android when we switched a few years ago. My kids run to me for all things tech and I usually have to figure out their problems. I’m always genuinely surprised my teenage son hasn’t made an effort to hack the application which restricts his time and access to his gaming computer (I would be secretly proud of him if he did).

So for my own piece of mind I’ll pay the 2x multiple for Apple hardware just so I don’t have to deal with learning a new OS while my family comes to me for basically every tech issue.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I get your perspective, but wouldn't everyone involved also have to learn how to deal with macOS? Learning how to deal with Linux isn't necessarily more complicated

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Absolutely, but I’d rather deal with something that has widespread manufacturer and user support.

While I think there is lots of support for Linux, and I could figure it out. I don’t perceive that it is as wide spread as Mac OS.

Long story short I’m paying for the convenience.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Apple is no better, they just have a better PR team.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago

Apple is historically better in terms of privacy than Microsoft. From resistance to government data requests to just their posture on data collection, it is an improvement. They rely less than Microsoft on advertisement and service based revenue and more on hardware sales which do not require the same level of invasive collection.

I don’t mean to sing their praises too loudly, but between the two I think Apple is a clear favorite. And couple that with a better, BSD-based, OS and I think you’ve got a winner. Unless of course you include alternate, clearly superior alternatives, like GNU/Linux.

But hardware alone? MacBooks can’t be beat.

[–] [email protected] 144 points 4 days ago (4 children)

They are trying so hard to push everybody to linux. The only thing that has kept me using windows is game development tool chains, but even that isn't gonna be enough to keep me on windows much longer.

[–] [email protected] 84 points 4 days ago (51 children)

The Godot Engine is getting better every day.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 4 days ago

If you're already using a third party engine it shouldn't be as big of a deal jumping to Linux. But if you're doing engine development, the tools on Windows are still superior. There's a big reason why Direct3D is still so popular despite being constrained to only Xbox and Windows. Tooling and documentation for Vulkan and OpenGL are light years behind and it's frustrating to see how vast the differences are as someone who primarily works with Vulkan/OpenGL and haa dabbled with Direct3D as a hobby.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 days ago

Microsoft ~~sofficial "Bing Wallpaper app"~~ does some nasty, malware-like things ~~to Windows~~

[–] [email protected] 29 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I'm always surprised at how devious this windows spyware is. 99% of people would probably just accept to share all their data but that's not good enough; MS has to try and squeeze out every last drop.

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[–] [email protected] 112 points 4 days ago (1 children)

This doesn’t sound “malware-like”. It sounds like just plain malware.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Time to break up Microsoft

[–] [email protected] 20 points 4 days ago (9 children)

Best time was a decade ago. Second best time is now. Same with Google, and Apple, auto companies and grocery companies. And...and...and. it's almost as the free market DOESN'T solve issues it creates them.

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[–] [email protected] 67 points 4 days ago (7 children)

Haven't we already categorized windows as malware and Microsoft as a malware company? We really shouldn't be surprised that they put out another piece of malware. It's their MO.

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[–] [email protected] 80 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Microsoft produces malware, that's nothing new.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 4 days ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 44 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Why would you download bing wallpaper app anyways? First rule of computers: only install from trusted sources

[–] [email protected] 62 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Most average users consider Microsoft a trusted source, that's the root cause of a whole lot of crap.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 days ago (4 children)

While scummy indeed, if you need a desktop application to get yourself new wallpapers, my sympathy only goes so far.

Also not at all surprised the top comment speaks of Linux.

Linux, hating Musk, and Star Trek: the Lemmy trifecta.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

You only have sympathy for people who are already technically competent to some standard you've chosen? It's those who don't have technical competence that this shit works on. I'd bet that's the reason a wallpaper app was chosen for these shenanigans, because it filters out the people who will be wise to it.

Like it or not, building a secure internet means making systems that are safe for regular internet users, and if you're getting snooty about the kinds of programs a person installs, I'd wager that's not you. Even if it's just the least competent 5 or 10% of the internet falling prey to this, it's the predators that make the environment more dangerous for everyone. Put the blame where it belongs.

Also, those people aren't using Linux partly because Linux is an elitist community that shits on anyone who's not comfortable in the command line. If you want Linux to be a viable threat to the Windows monopoly, you need to accept that these people will need to be accommodated, unless you're happy selfishly keeping it to cloistered group of nerds who are toxic towards every newcomer, and you think that's the way it should be. I've certainly met Linux people who think that way.

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[–] [email protected] 39 points 4 days ago (1 children)

"Megacorp learned nothing from Active Desktop being an utter fucking security disaster." Yeah, no shit. Everything old is new again.

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