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Dont post any pictures of me on Facebook or Instagram, said Richard Stallman, as he began his talk on the ethics of software and web development. Theyre a monstrous surveillance engine.

Were not Facebook users, were the Facebook used, he said, claiming that the social networking giant was morally unacceptable due to the amount of data gathered on users and they way in which it is used.

What on the surface seems anathema to the Web Summit ethos, Stallman in actuality appeared to inject a healthy dose of skepticism into the proceedings by addressing privacy concerns of the modern, digitally connected citizen.

We know now that the internet has been converted into a massive surveillance engine, Stallman said, adding that all digital technologies enable this abuse of surveillance.

He wears a badge declaring: Dont be tracked. Pay cash. This is in reference to the fact that Stallman not only avoids credit cards but also doesnt browse the web on his laptop and aims to withhold as much personally identifiable information as possible.

I dont want a database to know what I bought or where I was.

He doesnt own a mobile phone either. He never has. Once I found out how they can track users and be remotely configured into listening devices through back doors I thought this is Stalins dream. Some things are too important to give up in exchange for convenience.

A few years ago there may have been raised eyebrows at Stallmans words but in a post-Prism world following countless phone tapping incidents and where the NSA is alleged to have accessed Google and Yahoos oversees servers, it doesnt seem so unrealistic.

Stallman is known best for founding the Free Software Foundation and is a pioneer of copyleft, a way of ensuring that software can be distributed freely while preserving those freedoms for all.

If all the software we use if free then we have control over the computing we do on our own computers. You should reject any programme that isnt free because if the user isnt controlling the programme, then the programme is controlling the user, he said.

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Public not Facebook users but ‘Facebook used’ - Stallman

A new KitKat version of Android, which was redesigned to work across the wide range of handsets built with the Internet titans free software inside.

Google on Thursday unveiled its Nexus 5 smartphone, putting its premium brand on a device intended to champion the latest version of its Android operating system.

The hotly anticipated addition to Googles Nexus line is powered by a new KitKat version of Android, which was redesigned to work across the wide range of handsets built with the Internet titans free software inside.

Now you have one version of the Android operating system that can ship across all versions of smartphones in 2014, Sundar Pichai, head of the Android and Chrome teams, said while providing a look at the new software and Nexus 5.

As we get on our way to reach the next billion people, we want to do it with the latest version of Android.

The move aims to solve the problem that the wide variety of Android systems used around the world make it challenging for makers of fun, functional or hip smartphone or tablet apps to design programs that work on all devices.

Being stuck with old versions of Android also means that users dont get access to upgrades or improvements cranked out by Google.

Apple executives routinely boast about how most users of its iPhones, iPads and iPod touches are on the latest version of the iOS operating system while many Android users are stuck with old versions.

Changes in KitKat included fine tuning it to work with the limited memory capacities of Android smartphones priced for markets in developing countries or other places where buyers are on tight budgets.

It is important to us to get the same version of Android to scale across all versions of devices, Pichai said.

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Google unveils new smartphone in Nexus line

It often pays to wait before installing new versions of your system software and applications.

If you think you've been spending more time than usual waiting for your software to update, you may be right.

The release of Windows 8.1, OS X Mavericks, and iOS 7.0.3 has given us update fatigue. This weekend it took me a total of 7 hours to install all three upgrades: 2.5 hours for Windows 8.1, 3.5 hours for Mavericks, and 1 hour for iOS 7.0.3.

Even though the updates installed without a hitch, most people have no need to rush applying the upgrades. Taking your time is one of my "update rules." These guidelines will help keep your software updates from causing problems of their own.

Rule No. 1: Don't be in a hurry to install milestone upgrades Aside from security patches, there are few must-have software updates. Early adopters are the ones most likely to encounter glitches, so you can benefit from waiting for a mature update by letting somebody else discover the problems.

Soon after Microsoft released Windows RT 8.1, the company temporarily suspended distribution of the update for ARM-based devices due to a problem that "bricked" some RT systems, according to a story earlier this month by Mary Jo Foley. The patched update was available a couple days later.

Topher Kessler reports on Mavericks causing some external drives to lose data. And Josh Lowensohn describes the fixes in Apple's iOS 7.0.3, which the company made after reports that the iOS 7 interface was causing motion sickness in some users..

Rule No. 2: Set programs to update automatically Problematic updates are the exception these days. Applications and systems software should be set to download and apply updates automatically, which is usually the default setting.

The Windows Support site explains how to open Windows Update in Windows 7: click the Start button, type "update," and select Windows Update. In Windows 8, press the Windows key (if necessary), type "update," and choose "Windows Update settings" from the list.

To change your update settings in Windows 7, click "Change settings." In Windows 8, select "Choose how updates get installed."

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Five rules for trouble-free software updates

Dont post any pictures of me on Facebook or Instagram, said Richard Stallman, as he began his talk on the ethics of software and web development. Theyre a monstrous surveillance engine.

Were not Facebook users, were the Facebook used, he said, claiming that the social networking giant was morally unacceptable due to the amount of data gathered on users and they way in which it is used.

What on the surface seems anathema to the Web Summit ethos, Stallman in actuality appeared to inject a healthy dose of skepticism into the proceedings by addressing privacy concerns of the modern, digitally connected citizen.

We know now that the internet has been converted into a massive surveillance engine, Stallman said, adding that all digital technologies enable this abuse of surveillance.

He wears a badge declaring: Dont be tracked. Pay cash. This is in reference to the fact that Stallman not only avoids credit cards but also doesnt browse the web on his laptop and aims to withhold as much personally identifiable information as possible.

I dont want a database to know what I bought or where I was.

He doesnt own a mobile phone either. He never has. Once I found out how they can track users and be remotely configured into listening devices through back doors I thought this is Stalins dream. Some things are too important to give up in exchange for convenience.

A few years ago there may have been raised eyebrows at Stallmans words but in a post-Prism world following countless phone tapping incidents and where the NSA is alleged to have accessed Google and Yahoos oversees servers, it doesnt seem so unrealistic.

Stallman is known best for founding the Free Software Foundation and is a pioneer of copyleft, a way of ensuring that software can be distributed freely while preserving those freedoms for all.

If all the software we use if free then we have control over the computing we do on our own computers. You should reject any programme that isnt free because if the user isnt controlling the programme, then the programme is controlling the user, he said.

Excerpt from:
We’re not Facebook users, we’re the Facebook used says Richard Stallman

Why is Mavericks free? Its a good question. From where were standing everyone likes free software (and beer), after all not having to pay for a dazzling software update is great news.

Apple has to make money though, or it cant carry on making amazing products. And I think we can all agree that Apple is a pretty smart company, so it must be financially worthwhile for Apple to give Mavericks away for nothing, or it wouldnt do it. And from what we gather Apple has decided that all upgrades in the future will be free.

So why has Apple decided to release Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks for free? We look at some of the reasons:

The main reason we think Apple has decided to make Mavericks free is to entice as many people as possible take part in the upgrade process. Ever since Apple switched to the App Store for its digital download an update program its been pushing Mac OS X updates down in price. Apple regularly boasts of how fast its users are updating compared to other companies.

Apple clearly likes the excitement when people rush to its products all at once. Apple is big on keeping things under the radar, and then announcing things with a flourish; its good at getting as a lot of products into the store on day one. Apple likes crowds! It likes it when everybody is together high-fiving outside its stores. Everyone getting a free update together is very Apple-esque in nature. It makes people feel good; that makes them buy more Apple products.

See

Five reasons to upgrade to Mavericks

Mac OS X Mavericks review

10 hidden features in Mavericks

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7 Reasons Apple's free Mavericks was the smartest move it ever made