TweakHound

Computer stuff...

Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Break The Internet

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https://www.battleforthenet.com/breaktheinternet/

All 535 members of Congress, and how much money they got from ISPs

More than 100 Million Americans Can Only Get Internet Service from Companies That Have Violated Net Neutrality

PSA: The Net Neutrality vote is this week; Are you prepared?

Netflix Is In The Power Position Now In The War For Net Neutrality

The FCC plans to repeal net neutrality this week — and it could ruin the internet

Net Neutrality: What You Need to Know Now

Monday Random Stuff…

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Another HP Keylogger
Security researcher Michael Myng found a keylogger on some HP laptops. There was one found earlier this year. This is on top of spyware found on HP devices.
Yikes!

GET OFF OF FACEBOOK
Another former Facebook exec rips social media:
“I think we have created tools that are ripping apart the social fabric of how society works…No civil discourse, no cooperation; misinformation, mistruth. And it’s not an American problem — this is not about Russians ads. This is a global problem.”
source: iVerge

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Just Got Owned

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Many of the computing worlds pioneers and best and brightest took the FCC chairman to school. In a letter to four Congressmen and an attached document they laid out the case for Net Neutrality and why repealing it is wrong. I’ve read both the letter and the attached document (53-page document, 43 plus credits). They are works of art. IMHO all Computer Science majors should be required to read them. If you are remotely interested in your internet freedom you should read them. If you want to understand anything about this issue you should read them.
The basic premise is that the argument that Ajit Pai is making is… well, here are some key phrases:
“appears to lack a fundamental understanding”
“fundamental misunderstanding”
“fundamentally misunderstands”
“analysis is fundamentally flawed”
“inaccurately portraying”
“This analysis is fundamentally flawed and again shows a basic misunderstanding of how the Internet works.”
“displays a stunning lack of technical knowledge”
and my favorite:
“This interpretation of the role ISPs play in a customer’s online experience is so fundamentally alien to the standard conception of how the Internet works that a well-known April Fools’ joke addresses precisely this question.”

The signers of the letter are a Who’s Who of the internet and computing world including the inventor of the World Wide Web, and the co-founder of Apple Computer.
The folks that put the document together is darn near as impressive.

Letter: Internet Pioneers and Leaders Tell the FCC: You Don’t Understand How the Internet Works
PDF: Joint Comments of Internet Engineers, Pioneers, and Technologists on the Technical Flaws in the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rule-making and the Need for the Light-Touch, Bright-Line Rules from the Open Internet Order

Random Weekend Stuff…

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Disqus Acquired
I forgot about this. Comment system Disqus got bought out by a marketing firm.
I deleted my account.

Thinking About Building A New PC Soon
This will be my main PC. Intel i7-8700 based (Z370 chipset). I’m thinking no overclocking. May switch to Nvidia GPU. This also may be a Linux PC with Windows in VMs.
Dual M2’s (non-RAID) + a 4TB HD. 960 EVOs for the M2s as I do not think the Pros are worth the money.
This PC needs to last several years.
Any thoughts?

Ancestery DNA Testing
At a Christmas party talking to a guy with the same last name as me. He says his Dad just got an ancestry DNA test and he was only 10% Welsh and 90% Western European. We discussed issues like migration and conquering being factors. I asked him what he thought about the privacy implications of the DNA test. I got a blank stare. I explained that you basically sign away all rights and that you’ve no idea what they are doing with your data. This could have profound effects not only for his Dad but, his Dad siblings, him and his siblings, his children, and their children… Not sure if what I was saying got through and I moved the conversation on to another topic.
I don’t agree with Chuck Schumer on much of anything but he had a great quote a few days ago:
“When it comes to protecting consumers’ privacy from at-home DNA test kit services, the federal government is behind. Besides, putting your most personal genetic information in the hands of third parties for their exclusive use raises a lot of concerns, from the potential for discrimination by employers all the way to health insurance,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. “That’s why I am asking the Federal Trade Commission to take a serious look at this relatively new kind of service and ensure that these companies have clear, fair privacy policies and standards for all kinds of at-home DNA test kits. We don’t want to impede research but we also don’t want to empower those looking to make a fast buck or an unfair judgement off your genetic information. We can find the right balance here, and we must.”
Schumer added, “There is no point to learning about your family tree if your privacy gets chopped down in the process.”

Gillette Fusion Manual Men’s Razor Blade Refills, 12 Count – $23.95
Must clip $6 coupon (see pic below)
Amazon will tell you it is a total of $24.04 off but this is $29.95 at Walmart.com so the net savings is actually $6.

Friday Random Stuff…

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Here in Central Virginia we are getting our first snow!

Protection Patch
Windows Defender has been patched. The issue is critical. You should be patched automagically at some point. You can hurry things along by checking Windows Update.
You need to be on: Microsoft Malware Protection Engine version 1.1.14405.2 or higher.
To check your Windows Defender you can open it by searching “defender” or by pressing the Windows + R keys and copy/paste: C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\msascui.exe

Software Updates
Audacity 2.2.1
Nvdia Geforce 388.59 WHQL Game Ready Driver – “Provides the optimal gaming experience for Fallout 4 VR”

Amazon Key Sucks
Amazon Key is a program that gives access to your house to the delivery guy and who knows who else. This dude had a host of problems. First off I ain’t doing a smart lock unless it is biometric. Secondly, anyone that gives a key to their house to a stranger is an idiot.

Higgins Passed Away?
I didn’t know actor John Hillerman passed away. He was famous for sicking “The Lads” on Thomas Magnum. RIP Higgy Baby.

It’s The Weekend!
https://vimeo.com/245857321