Microsoft has announced it will begin deleting potentially identifying information associated with queries through its Bing search engine after six months, rather than the 18-month retention window to the company had been using. The move helps bring Bing into line with current data retention policies at other major Internet search operations, and also goes a long way towards appeasing concerns of privacy advocates…as well as the Article 29 Working Party, charged with advising European Union regulators on privacy issues.
“This new and significant step will be incorporated into our existing privacy practices, which already provide strong protections for Bing users,” said Microsoft’s Chief Privacy Strategist Peter Cullen, in a statement.
According to Microsoft, Bing already takes steps to “de-identify” search queries as soon as it receives them, separating the queries from account information (such as a HotMail or Windows Live account) used to perform the search. Now, after six months, Microsoft will also delete the user’s IP address from its records about the query. However, Microsoft still plans to hold on to de-identified cookie information (which can be used to track search sessions) and any cross-session IDs and tracking information associated with the search for 18 months.
Google currently anonymizes search data after nine months; a little over a year ago, Yahoo jumped in front of the pack, announcing it would anonymize search data after just 90 days.
Search engine companies like to be able to retain identifiers with search queries to analyze how their search engines are being used, to monitor and protect against fraud, and evaluate how their advertising businesses are doing. Privacy advocates warn that retaining personally identifiable information with search queries can lead to abuses, particularly in an age where online identity theft is a major concern.
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.