Fanbox?

[Monster_user]

A friend I haven't talked to in a while, just sent me a message from "Fanbox". Some elaborate website, with a Virtual Desktop. Looks, and Works similar to Vista.

Has anybody else heard of Fanbox?

[Nemmerle]

Yeah. Must admit I didn't much see the point of it though when I can carry all the files I really need around with me on a USB stick.

[Monster_user]

Especially if you don't always have access to the internet.

The site wanted me to log into my Instant Messaging accounts using its IM program. It seems to harvest its members through AOL, MSN, and Yahoo, etc...

[Nemmerle]

Wonder whether they sell your contact details on down the river.

[Freyr]

And all of your usernames/passwords, which are sent to them unencrypted. And the privacy policy is somewhat, erm... Yeah. Paraphrasing a bit "We promise not to share your information with anybody apart from anybody that we decide to share it with"

Besides of anything else, I don't see why anybody would want to use it. The only useful thing I could see was a browser, which I obviously already have on my PC by virtue of being able to see it. Oh! it also offers an IM program that can use all 3 major IM networks. Like Pidgin or Gaim, except hosted on a possibly dodgy remote service that probably harvests the email addresses for advertising and possibly your account user/pass.

Dosen't that make you want to go shopping with your credit card? (which is a huge security risk, their server is unsecured even if they didn't keep the details themself, so somebody else might get them enroute)