Microsoft drives an Edge between Adobe and the web: Flash ads blocked Microsoft will disable Flash ads by default in new versions of its Edge browser. The Redmond software peddler said the upcoming Anniversary Update to Windows 10 will introduce a switched-on setting that disables some Flash content, requiring users to specifically activate Adobe's plugin. If you have the Windows Insider preview …
And I thought that was ofcom, preventing me using BTWholesale Speedchecker to see how really slow my Broadband is at peak times.
Seriously ofcom, why is the outdated BTWholesale Speedchecker still using Adobe Flash FFS.
On one hand Gov regulators like ofcom expect people to use Antivirus, on the other they allow BT to continue using bug ridden tools such as this for customers to check the network.
Adobe moved all development offshore way back in 2005. Offshore resources were just maintenance developers. Flash comes from the desktop era where software inefficiencies didn't matter. We are now in the mobile era where software efficiencies do matter. Maintenance developers can't really rewrite a product from the ground up to make it as efficient as required in today's environment. HTML5 filled that niche after Adobe couldn't in 5+ years. You know you're bad when you get beat to the market by a consortium.
Microsoft is now in the mobile market with the Surface line. Flash is a slow, obsolete relic with little benefit. Microsoft, looking for everything to make their mobile products improve, cut the negative benefit Flash by blocking ads while keeping the little-benefit Flash by trying to predict where the desired content is located on the page.
Apple went this direction in 2010 with the iPad and the tech media threw a hissy fit.
"2: the "autoplay next video" feature that can't be permanently disabled"
The breaking news doesn't bother me too much but the autoplay is just bizarrely ridiculous. I can't understand why anyone thought it was a great idea, can't see any reason for it at all.
It's not as though they have advertising on the BBC News site for their key market so forcing extra videos down people's throats is unlikely to be to do with ad revenue. And just the premise that after watching one news video (news: etymology new things) you are likely to want to watch another news video which may not be news but olds.
It doesn't remember your autoplay:off setting. I can't believe any user of their site likes the autoplay feature.
The ads, that is. For five years or so, I've used a Flash-blocking plugin in Chrome as a poor man's ad blocker. It's served me well enough. I don't actually desire to deprive my news sites of revenue, I just hate the distracting and patently ridiculous nature of autoplay ads with fucking sound (yes, I've now noticed your product, now FUCK OFF!!! -- IBM used to be great for these).
That all changed yesterday when El Reg started having HTML5 animated ads that were super annoying. I've now joined the horde of angry AdBlock+ users. Thanks, El Reg!
"Microsoft noted that the change will help conserve memory and processor use by disabling the auto-run features some pages use for Flash ads."
If they actually cared about system resource use, they would not have bundled the invasive unwanted service which is Cortana.
If they actually cared about system resource use, they would not have bundled the invasive unwanted service which is Cortana.
But then they'd lose all that juicy data.
For what its worth Cortana does appear to require you to sign in with MS account. So it seems like easiest way to stop Cortana from running is to not bother with MS account.
Both Adobe and Macromedia.
I they had published flash as an open source player, they would own the interwebs.
But alas they were short-sighted, like many other (Blackberry comes to mind not releasing an Android phone 2 years earlier) they tried to choose fast and painless at an ATM but what they got instead was a suicide booth's "Slow and painful".
Microsoft is telling them: "You're dead, have a nice day"
"Flash has caused so much grief for so many people. It is clear that sites that make heavy use of it have a lot to answer for."
Yes, especially considering that people with phones and certain kinds of intarweb service PAY FOR BANDWIDTH OVERAGES one way or another (either speed throttling, or extra $ paid to telco) so those IRRITATING ADVERTISEMENTS are AS BAD AS E-MAIL SPAM, as if your weekly advertisement dead-tree junkmail was ALL! SENT! WITH! POSTAGE! DUE!!!
So Microsoft "grew a clue" today. Good. Job. <slow clap>
(if advertisers could do it, they'd reach out of our monitors and rub our noses in the ads)
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