Tuesday News
Adobe Flash Updated
Patch Tuesday usually means Flash updates too. Today is no exception:
APSB15-06 Security updates available for Adobe Flash Player
Flash for IE
Flash for other browsers
Main download page
Windows 8/8.1 users check Windows Update. As of this writing Microsoft hasn’t posted the update.
Google Chrome Updated
When Flash gets updated, Chrome does too.
Download or update from within the program.
The Chrome team is overjoyed to announce the promotion of Chrome 42 to the stable channel for Windows, Mac and Linux. Chrome 42.0.2311.90 contains a number of fixes and improvements, including:
– A number of new apps, extension and Web Platform APIs (including the Push API!)
– Lots of under the hood changes for stability and performance
– The answer to life, the universe and everything 😆
New Nvidia Drivers
GeForce 350.12 WHQL Game Ready Driver for Grand Theft Auto V
Release Notes
AMD Catalyst 15.4 Beta Driver
While Nvidia has been cranking out drivers at a record pace, AMD hasn’t had an official driver release in over 4 months. I feel like something is wacky over there. Admittedly, I’m out of the loop. Can someone school me on what’s happening with AMD as far as graphics cards / graphics drivers?
Download AMD Catalyst 15.4 Beta Driver
Samsung Magician 4.6
Someone, somewhere got hold of version 4.6 of Samsung Magician SSD software. I never saw it on the official site. If it ever was officially released it has been pulled. I did download and install it from unofficial channels. The only difference I noticed was I could no longer manually run trim from within the program. Uninstalled it (program is NOT needed for max performance).
Time To Run Windows Update
Updates available for all currently supported versions of Windows. Lots of updates this month folks.
Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for April 2015
Windows 8 also has an Optional update that has bee re-released you may want to check out: KB3013769
If you don’t want MS phoning home every day looking for Windows 10, see my post:
GWX – Get Windows 10
Midweek Random Stuff…
Surface 3
In general, I don’t get the tablet movement. I guess if you wanna web surf /email from the couch it’s OK but beyond that I dunno. One tablet has me curious and that is the Surface 3 Pro, mainly because with a couple hundred dollars in add-ons you can basically use it as a laptop. As you may know Microsoft now has cheaper version the Surface 3. This one I REALLY don’t get. Neowin shows it predictably getting spanked by the Pro in early benchmarks.
Adobe Reader Dead
Got ya! It just got renamed to Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (Document Cloud).
Now featuring “touch-enabled interface and powerful companion mobile apps”. :rolleyes:
Download
Linux Laptop
The new Dell XPS 13 is now available with Ubuntu pre-installed. See: New XPS 13 Developer Edition
Not having to pay the “Microsoft tax” looks to save you about $50.
Fail Defined:
When the headlines for your major OS announcement contains the words “Emoji Updates“.
GWX – Get Windows 10
Earlier this week several Geek sites parroted an article at MYCE entitled Update for Windows 7 and 8.1 silently installs Windows 10 downloader (nice work there guys!). Although the article did not bash Microsoft, commenters around the web were pissed off. At first I thought these comments might be a little bit of anti-Microsoft hysterics. Still, it made be curious enough to research the issue. Now, I’ve changed my mind…
[Read more…] about GWX – Get Windows 10
Random Weekend Stuff…
Intel 750 SSD
Remember the Intel countdown page that said, “The next revolution in solid-state drives is coming…”?
That page now redirects to their new 750 Series SSD
Prices:
400GB at Newegg & Amazon = $469.99
1.2TB at Newegg & Amazon = $1,199.99
Sooooo, I won’t be getting on of those!
GeForce Hotfix driver 350.05
Download & Info
This is a GeForce Hot Fix driver, version 350.05 that addresses the following issues:
– Battlefield Hardline – crash with Direct X error message on some systems
– Dragon Age: Inquisition – TDR crash
Looking For A Laptop Suggestions, Continued…
– Asus ROG
– Dell Precision M4800 Mobile Workstation
– “I don’t know if you are still looking around for a laptop but if you are check out this site: http://www.xoticpc.com/
My wife and I are avid pc gamers and I had purchased 2 laptops for us from this site. I found it to be really great because you can customize the type of laptop that you choose from them. I also found their customer service to be excellent.”
Original post and all suggestions here: Looking For A Laptop
Software
Firefox 37.0.1 – Download and Release Notes
EMDB 2.33 (Eric’s Movie DataBase) – Download & Info
TrueCrypt Audit Complete
The Open Crypto Audit Project has completed their audit of TrueCrypt. As most security Geeks have opined, TrueCrypt is fine.
1.3 Findings Summary
During the engagement, CS identified four (4) issues, and none led to a complete bypass of confidentiality
in common usage scenarios. The standard workflow of creating a volume and making use of it
was reviewed, and no significant flaws were found that would impact it.
Fun With Audio Players – 2015
“Everyone talks about rock these days; the problem is they forget about the roll.” Keith Richards
4 years ago I wrote a popular article called Fun With Audio Players. That version contained a variety of audio player programs. Since folks asked about my Winamp setup from here I thought I would re-do that article. This version only contains the 2 audio players I use for listening to music:
AIMP3
Winamp
[Read more…] about Fun With Audio Players – 2015
Chrome And Firefox Updated
Google Chrome 41.0.2272.118 – Download or update from within the program.
Firefox 37:
Download (Windows, EN-US)
Download other languages and operating systems
Monday News
“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” (wiki)
There is so much Bravo Sierra floating around the internet in the never-ending OS and browser wars. This quite often takes the form of ill-informed “reporters” creating click-bait headlines. This past week, Secunia published a report called the Secunia Vulnerability Review 2015. Now look at the name again. Does it say “least secure”, “most insecure”, or “most vulnerable”? No, and no where in that report does it mention that either. Yet many hysterical sites proclaimed Chrome as the least secure browser based on their incorrect interpretation of that report. Most Geeks know there is a difference between reported vulnerabilities and the actual security of a product. Phil Muncaster at Infosecurity Magazine quotes Secunia’s director of research and security, Kasper Lindgaard:
Google Chrome came top of the ‘20 core products’ with the most vulnerabilities, with a whopping 504 discovered last year – ahead of Solaris (483), Gentoo Linux (350) and Internet Explorer (289).
However, this is not a direct reflection on how secure or insecure Chrome is, said Lindgaard.
“It is a reflection on how aware Google as a vendor is, regarding the security of Google Chrome,” he argued.
“A large part of vulnerabilities recorded in Google Chrome are discovered, fixed, and disclosed by Google themselves – they put in a lot of resources into identifying the vulnerabilities before hackers do.”
Anywho, take your grain of salt for the day. Or better yet, get it off the rim of a Margarita!
Speaking Of Stats…
Ed Bott fought his way through a mound of government stats to find Six surprising facts about who’s winning the operating system and browser wars in the U.S.
I dunno, Windows 7 and iPhones dominating aren’t surprising. The stats do backup the argument that the desktop is far from dead.
Audacity 2.1.0
Audacity got a nifty update including improved noise removal and real-time preview for effects.
Reader Emails
Q – Is that Winamp on your multi-media screen?
A – Yep, lots of Q’s on this. I will have a write-up this week.
Responses so far to looking for laptop post (summarized):
1 – There are several Lenovo’s that fit your specs.
2 – Check Costco, great warranties.
3 – I own and recommend the Alienware 15.
4 – Not quite to your specs but the Dell XPS 13 is nice.
5 – “Eric we really need to get you into a Mac.”
my response: :rotfl: