Microsoft constantly reminds us that Google scans email in order to sell ads . Now it’s adapting its policies to specifically state that it won’t engage in the same practices as its rival. Well, not all of them. In an effort to be more transparent and build trust, the company has updated its service agreement and privacy policy to make it clear that it will not access your content to sell ads. “We do not use what you say in email, chat, video calls, or voicemail to target advertising to you, ” Microsoft notes. “Nor do we use your documents, photos, or other personal files to target advertising to you.” However, the policy, which covers most of Microsoft’s online services, including Bing, Outlook and OneDrive, won’t come into effect until July 31st. To be clear, however, Microsoft isn’t ignoring your data completely, and there are still a few clauses to be aware of. While Microsoft says it won’t access your content to sell you ads, it does state that it will collect data from your account. The company says this content includes “your communications and your files, ” which ranges from words in an email or documents stored on OneDrive. It’s a muddy area, but Microsoft says it does so in order to gain an insight into how you use its services. Remember when Microsoft came under fire for rifling through someone’s Hotmail account without permission? The company vowed to go through a more stringent process in future cases and has updated its policy to reflect that change. Instead of inspecting content on its own, it will now refer suspicious activity to law enforcement. All of the changes have been made available before the July 31st deadline so you can run through the new terms with a fine-toothed comb. If you want to opt out, Microsoft will kindly show you the door — you’ll need to either stop using its services or close your account. Filed under: Internet , Microsoft Comments Via: Neowin Source: Microsoft Service Agreement , Privacy Policy

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Microsoft expands its pledge not to sell ads against your private data

Remember all those rumors about Amazon launching a music streaming service? Well, they were absolutely true: Amazon pulled back the curtain on Prime Music earlier today, which gives paying Prime subscribers access to over a million songs for no additional cost and without a single obnoxious ad in earshot. Amazon Digital Music VP Steve Boom told us that customers have been clamoring for this little development for ages now — here are a few answers to the burning questions surrounding Amazon’s newest media play. How do I get it? Assuming you’ve already paid Amazon for the year, you can use one of its existing Cloud Player apps for iOS, Android, OS X, Windows and the web to start digging through that catalog of free tracks. Speaking of which, doesn’t the name “Cloud Player” seem a little clunky? Amazon seemed to think so, because all those apps will fly under the new “Amazon Music” banner starting today. If you’ve got a Kindle Fire HD or HDX kicking around, they’ll get an automatic update that grants them access to that gratis music — we’re keeping our eyes peeled and will update you once it goes live.​ What does it do for me? There are already plenty of streaming services out there, but Amazon’s lateness to the game only means it had time to figure out what its rivals were getting right. You can, for example, save high-quality Prime tracks to your device for offline listening (take that Pandora). Itching for the perfect party mix? You can check out curated playlists for specific moods and activities (sorry Songza). Meanwhile, one of Amazon’s mainstays will help you discover music to add to your collection — Prime Music will chew on your preferences to recommend other artists and albums worth checking out. For now you’ll just get recommendations based on your what you’ve listened to, but Boom said it wouldn’t be impossible for future suggestions could draw from a wider array of shopping signals. What’s the catch? Here’s the rub, friend: Amazon’s library pales in comparison to the over 20 million tracks available with services like Spotify or Rdio. Sure, some big names are part of the deal — Daft Punk, Bruno Mars, Beyoncé, Celine Dion, Bruce Springsteen — but a closer look at the catalog reveals there’s nothing there that’s currently racing up the charts. The only one of Billboard’s current top songs that can be found in Prime Music is John Legend’s All Of Me , and that’s only because it first charted back in 2013. Boom promised that the catalog would grow at a steady clip, but make no mistake — unless Amazon’s licensing deals change drastically, Prime Music won’t be your source for the hottest new releases. So why does this exist? “We’d love it if people spent all their time listening to Prime Music, ” Boom noted. “But music isn’t a zero-sum game.” He’s got a point. The company has always said it goal is more about delighting customers than crushing competitors, and one need only look at its catalog to see why it isn’t a huge threat to others… yet. The service’s real value seems clear. Prime Music is another way to make that $99 annual subscription fee seem even more valuable. Think about it: in addition to getting ridiculously fast shipping and loads of premium video, you now have access to a small (but not insignificant) pool of music to flesh out your collection. It’s no secret that Prime customers buy more than regular ones do , and that’s what’s going to fuel Amazon’s continued dominance. The company has been around since 1995, and it survived a bursting tech bubble to become a global force — in short, it lives to play the long game. Comments

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What you need to know about Amazon Prime Music

The NSA may claim it’s not collecting photos of American citizens for a facial recognition database , but the FBI most certainly is. The feds has been building what it calls the “Next Generation Identification database, ” primarily by gathering mug shots from local law enforcement agencies. The software is being built of MorphoTrust, a company that helped the State Department create its own face recognition database. At the moment the two can’t share data, say by simply importing an existing State Department record, but FBI Director James Comey wouldn’t rule out the possibility. What’s more concerning however, are the accusations from the Electronic Frontier Foundation that many innocent people will be swept into the database, which is expected to reach 52 million images by next year. To make matters worse, Director Comey was unable to allay those fears when addressing law makers recently. The agency’s head said he wasn’t sure if the EFF’s claims were accurate, nor could he rule out that people’s drivers’ license photos might end up in the pool. When asked specifically about license photos he said, “I think there is some circumstances in which when states send us records… pictures of people who are getting special driving licenses to transport children or explosive materials.” Filed under: Misc Comments Source: Ars Technica , EFF

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FBI testing face recognition for finding suspects