I came across something in the Microsoft Windows Blog over the weekend that quite literally made my head explode. In the latest insider build of Windows 10, that’s their beta test program by the way, Microsoft has set it up so that Windows Mail will open any links within emails with Microsoft Edge, even if you’ve set another browser as your default browser.
Here’s how the folks in Redmond spin this:
For Windows Insiders in the Skip Ahead ring, we will begin testing a change where links clicked on within the Windows Mail app will open in Microsoft Edge, which provides the best, most secure and consistent experience on Windows 10 and across your devices.
With built-in features for reading, note-taking, Cortana integration, and easy access to services such as SharePoint and OneDrive, Microsoft Edge enables you to be more productive, organized and creative without sacrificing your battery life or security. As always, we look forward to feedback from our WIP community.
Here’s some feedback Microsoft, it’s a stupid idea.
If I set my default browser to be something other than Edge, then it implies that I don’t want to use Edge. Period. End of story. Trying to get me to use Edge via the “drip drip” method is a non-starter. I say that they’re using the “drip drip” method because today it’s going to be Windows Mail opening links. Tomorrow it will be something else equally as trivial. And so on until your only browsing experience is via Edge. I can already see that there’s blowback to this online that Microsoft will somehow have to manage. But I suspect they’ll manage this by ignoring the naysayers and pushing ahead. I say that because Microsoft Edge accounts for just 4.99 per cent of Windows desktop browsing worldwide according Netmarketshare. That’s insanely low and clearly Microsoft are desperate to bump that up any way they can.
Good luck with that Microsoft.
One Ring Scams Are Here…. Here’s How To Avoid Being A Victim
Posted in Commentary with tags Scam on March 19, 2018 by itnerdOver the last couple of weeks, Canadian wireless customers, and I am sure this is true in the US as well may have experienced the following:
Now you’re likely tempted to phone the number back. I am here to say don’t do that. No. seriously. Don’t phone the number back. That’s what these scammers want you to do. And it is a scam called the “One Ring” scam. The whole idea is that the scammers are trying to get you to call them back. But when you do, you’ll get billed an astronomical amount of money per minute. I’ve heard of $400 a minute in one case which is insane.
Now in my case, I’ve received four of these calls over the last week. In every case, I’ve blocked the number in hopes that this will stop the calls. Seeing as two of them were at 3AM, that’s important to me. But blocking calls may not solve the problem as the scumbags behind this scam often use caller ID “spoofing” or deliberately falsifying the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Thus it may end up being a situation where it’s like playing “Whack A Mole.”
The best way to avoid being a victim is to not to call back these numbers. Ever. But here’s a couple of other tips that may be of use:
But if you do end up getting burned by this, I would recommend calling your phone company and seeing what they can do to credit the bill. On top of that, you should report it. In Canada, that means that you should go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. In the US, you can file a complaint with the FCC. Though, because of the nature of this scam, there’s likely not much that either party can do. Thus the best way to protect yourself is to not to call back.
UPDATE: I have also confirmed that calls are coming from 269 (Comoros), strangely 573 (A Missouri area code, but it is possible that it is country code 57 which is Colombia) and 267 (Botswana)
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