Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Nvidia Geforce Game Ready WHQL Driver 441.41
Support for Halo: Reach and Image Sharpening Support for Vulkan and OpenGL
Download | Release Notes

Paint.NET 4.2.7
Bugfix for last weeks 4.2.6
Download | Release Info

FinalCrypt 5.6.7
Bugfixes
Download | Changelog

Microsoft Office Updated
Fixes and more fixes.
Release Info for 365 | Release info for standard version
See MS How-To: Install Office updates

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

The California DMV Is Making $50M a Year Selling Drivers’ Personal Information
“DMVs across the country are selling data that drivers are required to provide to the organization in order to obtain a license. This information includes names, physical addresses, and car registration information. California’s sales come from a state which generally scrutinizes privacy to a higher degree than the rest of the country.”

Gobbled Out: 1 In 4 Americans Are Tired Of Traditional Thanksgiving Food
“A new survey of 2,000 Americans has revealed that more than a quarter (26%) have grown weary of the usual Thanksgiving food options and would like to see some new cuisine on the menu this year.
It should come as no surprise then that 45% of the survey’s respondents say they’ve already spiced up a Thanksgiving by cooking non-traditional food for the big meal, or plan to do so in the future. Moreover, 43% say they would be open to celebrating an “alternative Thanksgiving” this year.”
We are back to a small traditional turkey dinner this year. For years we have had a tradition of having crab legs for Thanksgiving. Last year we tried that and my Dad just cannot crack the legs anymore. This meant my wife and I had to do his and between cooking the legs in batches and after cracking his, our crab legs were getting cold. It just wasn’t enjoyable anymore. With his condition so badly deteriorating he doesn’t know Thanksgiving from any other day anyway.

Audacity 2.3.3
Many improvements and bugfixes. “Refactoring and 150+ bugs fixed since 2.3.2”
Download | Release Info

Paint.NET 4.2.6
Many improvements and bugfixes.
Download | Release Info

FinalCrypt
“Update fixed the 1st 70 bytes Crib Drag Vulnerability
Disabled all 0 to 255 byte value inversion of keydata
Removed Glow & Bloom effects for better GUI response
Please decrypt en re-encrypt for 100% OTP compliance”
Download | Changelog
Thanks Eric!

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

1.2 Billion Records Found Exposed Online in a Single Server
“contain profiles of hundreds of millions of people that include home and cell phone numbers, associated social media profiles like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Github, work histories seemingly scraped from LinkedIn, almost 50 million unique phone numbers, and 622 million unique email addresses.”

“Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozzy!”…

DVD – Come On Feel The Noize: The Story Of How Rock Became Metal
Exclusive, long-lost live material from rock’s most iconic bands & artists, as well as all-new original interviews with the living legends themselves: This film is your access-all-areas backstage pass to Heavy Metal and Hard Rock history. Delve into the rich history of Heavy Metal: from its scandalous origins in the 1960s to its heyday in the 1980s, from its glam phase in the 1970s to its indestructible present in 2017. A backstage pass into the history of how Rock became Heavy Metal.
Pre-Order at Amazon Now

AMD Radeon Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.11.3 Optional
Fortnite DX12 support
Download | Release Notes

Intel SSD Toolbox 3.5.12
-Added support for Intel SSD 665p Series
-Intel Optane SSD 900P Series firmware update to 435
-Minor bug fixes
Download | Release Notes

Macrium Reflect 7.2.4539
Fixes to program and boot media.
Download | Release Notes

Google Chrome 78.0.3904.108
“The stable channel has been updated to 78.0.3904.108 for Windows, Mac, and Linux…This update includes 5 security fixes.”
“We’ve just released Chrome 78 (78.0.3904.108) for Android: it’ll become available on Google Play over the next few weeks. This release contains the following features, as well as stability and performance improvements:
Dark theme for Chrome menus, settings, and surfaces. Find it in Settings > Themes.”
Download (64-bit en-US) | All Downloads | Release Info (PC) | Download (Android) | Release Info (Android)

AMD Radeon Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.11.2 Optional
Support for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Fix for Battlegrounds.
Download | Release Notes

Intel Graphics Drivers Updated
Windows 7 and 8.1 15.36 (4th Generation Drivers)
“This is simply a security update for 4th generation Intel® platforms on Windows 7* and Windows 8.1*. No further drivers are to be expected for this generation on these operating systems.”
Windows 7 and 8.1 6th Generation Drivers
“This is a security release and only supports Windows 7* and 8.1* for 6th Generation processors.”
Windows 10 DCH Drivers Version: 26.20.100.7463
Launch driver for: Football Manager 2020 and Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Wise Disk Cleaner 10.2.5
Download (I use portable) | Release Notes

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Some Answers To Emails
I rolled some of these up into one section or a quick answer.

1909 / 19H2 / November Update 2019
I’m recommending you backup and move to this now. I’m going to treat this as like a LTS (Long-Term Support) version of Linux. That is to say I’m recommending everyone move to this version and if you have “mission critical” systems plan on staying there for a while. 1909 will stay supported until May, 2021.
FWIW – Some folks are confused by the numbers and such. 1909 / 19H2 / November Update 2019 are the same thing.
Reader Ed informed me that 1909 is being distributed via the Media Creation Tool.
I will slowly begin working on a full revision to the Win10 Tweak Guide next week. No time table for completion, as many of you know I have my hands full here.

Credge (Microsoft Edge Chromium browser)
I haven’t reported on this because I don’t care any more about it than any other Microsoft browser. I don’t and won’t use them.

Intel IME
Q – Just wondering about your opinion on the Intel Management Engine vulnerability, as of late 2019? GOOD or BAD?
A – Which one? Jk
They’re all bad and the fixes all hurt performance. AFAIK their is nothing the end user can do but patch or risk it.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Intel Fixes a Security Flaw It Said Was Repaired 6 Months Ago
“The chip maker patched several problems in May. Now it is issuing another fix, and researchers say the company hasn’t been straight about its issues.”
Which reminds me. I haven’t heard back from the lawyers on my lawsuit in a while.

Boss Notices His Employee Sobbing At Her Desk, And His Act Of Kindness Turns Her Into The Best Employee
“Recently, he told his LinkedIn connections about the time he stumbled upon a mom employee, crying at her desk. She’d been up all night, was out of sick days, and her child was ill. However, instead of telling her to suck it up, Bernie did something that modern managers are forgetting about. It’s called being a decent human being and showing empathy.”
The few bosses I’ve had outside of the military have not been good. Most of them just aren’t leaders nor have they had any training. Not a single one earned a drop of respect or loyalty from anyone who worked for them. It all starts with not being an a$$hat. If you can’t manage that you probably aren’t a good human being either.

VMware Workstation 15.5.1 Player
Download | Release Notes

Microsoft Office Updated
A few fixes and a few new minor features.
Release Info for 365 | Release info for standard version
See MS How-To: Install Office updates

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Google’s ‘Project Nightingale’ Gathers Personal Health Data on Millions of Americans
Paywalled
“The data involved in the initiative encompasses lab results, doctor diagnoses and hospitalization records, among other categories, and amounts to a complete health history, including patient names and dates of birth….At least 150 Google employees already have access to much of the data on tens of millions of patients, according to a person familiar with the matter and the documents…Some Ascension employees have raised questions about the way the data is being collected and shared, both from a technological and ethical perspective, according to the people familiar with the project. But privacy experts said it appeared to be permissible under federal law.”

9 Drinks That Help You Sleep
“A good night’s rest is often overlooked as an important component of health.
Experts recommend that adults aged 18–60 get at least 7–9 hours of sleep each night.
Too little or too much sleep is associated with an increased risk of depression, diabetes, heart disease, and even death.
But sleeping for at least 7 full hours each night does not always come easy.
Fortunately, a variety of sleep-inducing drinks can help you catch some z’s.
Here are 9 drinks that may improve your sleep naturally.”
I would pay real money for 6 hours of uninterrupted REM sleep.

Dating Deception: When Sex Is On Our Minds, Lying Comes Naturally
“New study reveals what most of us probably already know: People will say just about anything to get laid.”
I started swearing to my god and on my mother’s grave
That I would love you to the end of time
I swore, that I would love you to the end of time

Your DNA Profile is Private? A Florida Judge Just Said Otherwise
“Last week, however, a Florida detective announced at a police convention that he had obtained a warrant to penetrate GEDmatch and search its full database of nearly one million users. Legal experts said that this appeared to be the first time a judge had approved such a warrant, and that the development could have profound implications for genetic privacy.”
Grrrrrr…

Your hatred of heart-healthy veggies could be genetic
“If certain vegetables have always made you gag, you may be more than a picky eater. Instead, you might be what scientists call a “super-taster:” a person with a genetic predisposition to taste food differently.”
If my Mom was still alive I would print this out for her!
Mom: “You’re not leaving the table until you clean your plate.”
Me: “But Mom, I’m a super-taster!”