The next version of Windows will contain a virtual flight data recorder or "black box" that records everything a user does. The intent is that if programs or the computer crashes, IT professionals will be able to see what the user was doing at the time of the error.

Personally I wouldn't want the text of my emails being sent to Microsoft every time the computer goes haywire, so I will definitely be turning that feature off. But disabling the spy feature on a work PC may not be that straightforward.

With businesses, however, IT managers typically set the policy. If they wanted total information, they could configure systems so that they'd know not only that a user was running Internet Explorer, for example, but also that he or she was watching a video from ESPN.com. Or, they might find out not only that a worker was running Instant Messenger but also that he or she was talking to a co-worker about getting a new job.

This functionality is already available to companies through third party programs. But not everyone goes through the hassle and expense to log everything. Now Microsoft is taking that step for them. Pretty soon the only thing keeping your boss from reading your emails and IMs will be the sheer volume of them. (And a simple 'search' feature solves that problem.)