An early build of Windows 10 Cloud has leaked, proving the new OS is no myth

Oh boy. Critics, developers, and customers who oppose Windows 10 and Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform initiative are likely now gathering their pitchforks and torches, as a recent leak seemingly confirms that Windows 10 Cloud does indeed exist. Even more, the unannounced operating system is locked to the Windows Store, preventing users from installing traditional (Win32) desktop programs.

An early version of Windows 10 Cloud is now available as an ISO file via Twitter user @adguard. Those wanting to see what the fuss is all about should not install this platform on a machine, but create a bootable USB drive or run the ISO file through a virtual machine. The downloadable file resides on a cloud server located in Russia.

More: Epic’s Tim Sweeney isn’t thrilled about the locked nature of Windows 10 Cloud

The idea behind Windows 10 Cloud is to provide a lightweight, optimized version of Windows 10 for notebooks to compete directly with Google’s Chrome OS platform installed on Chromebooks. Following Google’s lead, Windows 10 Cloud will not allow users to install traditional desktop software, but force customers to rely solely on the Windows Store. Chromebooks are similar in nature, locking users to the Chrome Web Store.

That said, customers who try to install traditional Windows software will receive the following message:

This app you’re trying to run isn’t designed for this version of Windows. This version of Windows was made to help protect you and your device by exclusively running Windows Store apps.

What’s the difference between regular desktop software and Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps available through the Windows Store? Traditional desktop software typically contains multiple components that may install in multiple locations on a PC, and can be freely downloaded and installed from any source. UWP apps are a single package installed in one location, and can only be obtained through the Windows Store, which is bundled into Windows 10 and controlled by Microsoft.

UWP apps are supposedly more secure than desktop software. That’s because apps sold through the Windows Store are “sandboxed,” meaning Windows 10 controls the environment and permissions apps need to function. If by chance an app is hacked, it will be unable to exit its sandbox and infect the entire operating system. Regular desktop software, however, can cause complete chaos.

Windows 10 Cloud does offer a way to use older desktop software, but the developer needs to take some action to make it possible. Microsoft offers a Desktop App Converter, which takes a desktop program and bundles all components into a sandboxed package that can be placed on the Windows Store. It’s still the same program, just in an app form — and upgraded to take advantage of special Windows 10 features only offered through the Universal Windows Platform model.

There are reports that desktop programs converted to Windows 10 apps and distributed through the Windows Store still can’t run on Windows 10 Cloud due to their Win32-based nature. But given that this is an early build of Microsoft’s “lite” platform, that will likely change in the near future. Windows 10 Cloud isn’t expected to launch until the second half of this year, at the earliest.

Bitcoin Laundering” Study: Where Do Criminals Turn to Mask Illicit Cryptoassets?

A recent study ( PDF ) from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Sanctions and Illicit Finance and blockchain analytics company Elliptic explored the “bitcoin laundering” ecosystem. In the study, Elliptic’s forensic analysis of the Bitcoin blockchain and other publicly available data were used to track the flows of illicit funds from 2013 to 2016. “This study aimed to identify where individuals turn in order to cash out or transmit bitcoins (BTC) acquired from illicit entities and to discover typologies for criminals ‘laundering’ bitcoins,” the report says. The study describes bitcoin laundering as a special type of money laundering that exists within the Bitcoin network where a user moves some bitcoins to a new address in a manner that obscures the original source of funds. The conversion of bitcoins into fiat currency on exchanges that lack adequate anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) policies can also fall under the category ...

Soaring Bitcoin Price Leads $159 Billion Crypto Market Recovery

Bitcoin Well, somebody bought the dip. Just as critics were rushing to proclaim that the bitcoin bubble had burst, the markets staged a $159 billion recovery. The rally was headlined by the bitcoin price, which rebounded from its sub-$10,000 fling and is currently flirting with $12,000. Several other top-tier coins, meanwhile, returned single day increases in excess of 40 percent. Source: CoinMarketCap Altogether, the cryptocurrency market cap clawed its way back to $574 billion, representing a 38 percent recovery from Wednesday’s intraday low of $415 billion. Bitcoin Price Eyes $12,000 Wednesday served as a trial-by-fire for recent bitcoin investors, some of whom had purchased the flagship cryptocurrency for $19,000 at the height of the rally in mid-December. Bitcoin Price Chart The correction forced the bitcoin price below $10,000 for the first time since early December, but Thursday’s rally enabled bitcoin to regain a bit...

How to Boost Your Credit—or Build it Up From Nothing

Now that you know how credit works , you probably want to know how to make it work better . While nothing is better for your credit than paying your bills in full and on time, there are ways to give it a boost. Like it or not, credit matters . It’s also complicated. In our “Everything You Need to Know About Credit” series, we’re breaking down the basics. When a lender or landlord looks at your credit, they’re not just looking for a three digit number, they want to know how you actually handle credit. That’s why your credit report is more important than your score. That said, your score matters, too, and the good news is, there are shortcuts for boosting it in a relatively short amount of time. And if you don’t have credit at all — let’s say you’re a teenager about to start college — your biggest focus should be on building up a credit history. That way you can apply for student loans, apartments, and make sure you aren’t gouged on bills . Here are some options...

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