TweakHound

Computer stuff...

Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Food For Thought

By

As Coronavirus Surveillance Escalates, Personal Privacy Plummets
“Tracking entire populations to combat the pandemic now could open the doors to more invasive forms of government snooping later.”

I am an American constitutional lawyer – and I see our government using Covid-19 to take away our fundamental rights
“Do we really think “it can’t happen here” in America? Could we quarantine the constitution? Are we doing it already?”

How Surveillance Could Save Lives Amid a Public Health Crisis
“Smartphones could be a powerful weapon against the novel coronavirus. But tracking people’s movements would offend many Americans’ sense of privacy.”

Protecting Civil Liberties During a Public Health Crisis
“As our society struggles with how best to minimize the spread of this disease, we must carefully consider the way that “big data” containment tools impact our digital liberties.”

DOJ Wants to Suspend Certain Constitutional Rights During Coronavirus Emergency
“The Department of Justice has secretly asked Congress for the ability to detain arrested people “indefinitely” in addition to other powers that one expert called “terrifying”.”

EFF and COVID-19: Protecting Openness, Security, and Civil Liberties
“The COVID-19 pandemic has made obvious how important the Internet and digital tools are to our lives and how vital it is that we maintain an open and secure approach to them.”

Wednesday Random Stuff…

By

Win10 Updated
Versions 1809 and below have been updated.
“This non-security update includes quality improvements. Key changes include:” a bunch of “Addresses an issue” stuff.
March 17, 2020—KB4541331 (OS Build 17763.1131)

Google Chrome Updated
“This update includes 13 security fixes.”
Download | Release Info
Chrome for Android updated too, update via the play store

Samsung SSD Magician 6.1.0
Will appear here when download restrictions removed.
The only change from the previous versions:
“Changed the character(O →√, X→“”)in Supported Features by model”
I’m skipping it.

Adobe Reader Updated
Security Updates. Lots of Adobe products patched.

Cleanmgr+ Updated
This is a disk cleanup tool. I had previously not been discussing this program because I didn’t like the name. Cleanmgr.exe is Windows Disk Cleanup and it sounded to me like they were pimping Cleanmgr+ as a Disk Cleanup enhancement which it is not. Still, it’s a good program and I’ve been using it for several months. Recommended.
Download & Info

It’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine

By

I hope you are all well and weathering this situation OK.
My wife and I are staying in for a while. The lineup for tonight involves beer and board games.
How are things where you are? Are you and yours OK?

R.E.M.’s ‘It’s the End of the World as We Know It’ back on the charts
“Monday, the track continued its upward trajectory, landing at number 39 as of 2:30 p.m. EST.”
Wiki:
““It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” is a song by American rock band R.E.M., which first appeared on their 1987 album Document. It was released as a single in November 1987, reaching No. 69 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and later reaching No. 39 on the UK Singles Chart on its re-release in December 1991.”

Friday Random Stuff…

By

VMware Workstation 15.5.2
“bug fixes and security updates”
Be sure to update tools too.
Download | Release Notes

Tor Browser 9.0.6
Browse Privately. Explore Freely. Defend yourself against tracking and surveillance. Circumvent censorship.
“This release features important security updates to Firefox. This release updates Firefox to 68.6.0esr and NoScript to 11.0.15.”
Download | Release Info

Tails 4.4
Tails is a live operating system that you can start on almost any computer from a USB stick or a DVD. It aims at preserving your privacy and anonymity.
“This release fixes many security vulnerabilities. You should upgrade as soon as possible.”
Download | Release Info

Clonezilla Updated
Free partition and disk imaging/cloning program.
Download | Release Info

Off topic:

OZZY OSBOURNE’s Son JACK Blasts People For Toilet Paper Hoarding: ‘Chronic S**tting Isn’t A Symptom Of Corona’

Meat department this morning at Wegmans Food Market in Short Pump, Virginia.

Thursday Random Stuff…

By

Win10 Updated
Out of band update today, “Updates a Microsoft Server Message Block 3.1.1 protocol issue that provides shared access to files and printers.”

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

Google: You know we said that Chrome tracker contained no personally identifiable info? Forget we ever said that
“Google has stopped claiming that an identifier it uses internally to track experimental features and variations in its Chrome browser contains no personally identifiable information.”

WTF?
What’s wrong with people? I made my weekly run to the store. “Really busy for a Thursday”, I thought as I drove up. I grab a few things to make chili and head over to get paper towels and toilet paper…
I…
Uh…
What the F***???
The aisle is almost empty, there is no toilet paper. A lady, seeing the stunned expression on my face says,”Yep, I went to Costco and you can’t even park there.”
Seriously, hoarding toilet paper? To everyone that did this, YOU SUCK.

Goodbye Old Friend
A computer I built in 2008 finally bit the dust. It was my main rig for about 6 years. Twin Raptor 150’s, oof! Those were the days…

GREYHOUND – Official Trailer (HD)
Definitely gonna see this in the theater…if they’re still open.

Patch Tuesday

By

Windows Updates
Windows 10
1909 – March 10, 2020—KB4540673 (OS Builds 18362.719 and 18363.719)
1903 – March 10, 2020—KB4540673 (OS Builds 18362.719 and 18363.719)
1809 – March 10, 2020—KB4538461 (OS Build 17763.1098)

Windows 8.1
March 10, 2020—KB4541509 (Monthly Rollup)
March 10, 2020—KB4541505 (Security-only update)

Windows 7
March 10, 2020—KB4540688 (Monthly Rollup)
March 10, 2020—KB4541500 (Security-only update)
***IMPORTANT***
READ THE SECTION “Before installing this update”
Prerequisite:
You must install the updates listed below and restart your device before installing the latest Rollup. Installing these updates improves the reliability of the update process and mitigates potential issues while installing the Rollup and applying Microsoft security fixes.

Tuesday Random Stuff…

By

I’m Back
I want to thank so many of you that reached out to me during these last difficult months. Touched, amazed, grateful… those words don’t seem adequate. It helped me and my wife more than you know.
I’m doing well and my absence has been due to attending to things that were left unattended or neglected this last year or so. I will be easing back into this.

Google Chrome Updated
“The stable channel has been updated to 80.0.3987.132 for Windows, Mac, and Linux…This update includes 4 security fixes.”
Download | Release Notes

Microsoft PowerToys 0.15
“Our mantra for the 0.15 was infrastructure, quality, stability and work toward getting a way to auto-update PowerToys. While it took a bit longer to get here, we feel it was worth the extra time to fix bugs that really impacted your experience with PowerToys.”
Download & Release Notes

Samsung NVMe Driver 3.3
Download | Info | Installation Guide

CCleaner v5.64.7613
“Introducing… ‘Health Check’.” No thanks
Download (I use portable) | Release Announcement
See also: Blocking A Programs Internet Access Via The Windows Firewall

Patch Tuesday Morning

By

I apologize that this post is as scattered as my life is right now. I’ll share someday.

Windows 7 EOL
Doomsday predictions, “end of an era”, supposed hacks. There are no answers to what will happen with Windows 7 going forward. Today is listed as the last day of extended support. Truth is nobody knows exactly what that entails. I wouldn’t be in a rush to ditch Windows 7 just yet but you do have options:
– “Upgrade” to Win10. The free option still works. I did it yesterday on my wife’s PC. It was my old one that I bought in 2008. It seems to be a little wonky and I haven’t had time to mess with it. I might just put Linux Mint on it.
– Install Linux. I use Linux Mint right now.
– Keep using Windows 7 as is. Should be OK for a while. At some point in the future that rig may need to be disconnected from the internet.
What are your plans?

Cryptic Rumblings Ahead of First 2020 Patch Tuesday
“Sources tell KrebsOnSecurity that Microsoft Corp. is slated to release a software update on Tuesday to fix an extraordinarily serious security vulnerability in a core cryptographic component present in all versions of Windows. Those sources say Microsoft has quietly shipped a patch for the bug to branches of the U.S. military and to other high-value customers/targets that manage key Internet infrastructure, and that those organizations have been asked to sign agreements preventing them from disclosing details of the flaw prior to Jan. 14, the first Patch Tuesday of 2020.”

New Intel Graphics Drivers
Windows 7-10 Braswell, 4th and 5th generations
Windows 7 & Windows 8.1 4th Generation
Windows 7 & Windows 8.1 6th Generation
Windows 7-10 Baytrail and 3rd generation
What a Charlie Foxtrot. You’re better off using the Intel Driver & Support Assistant.

Mark Hamill joins critics in deleting Facebook, condemning Zuckerberg
“So disappointed that Mark Zuckerberg values profit more than truthfulness that I’ve decided to delete my Facebook account,” Hamill tweeted. “I know this is a big ‘Who cares?’ for the world at large, but I’ll sleep better at night. #PatriotismOverProfits”

Who Signs Up to Fight? Makeup of U.S. Recruits Shows Glaring Disparity
“The men and women who sign up overwhelmingly come from counties in the South and a scattering of communities at the gates of military bases like Colorado Springs, which sits next to Fort Carson and several Air Force installations, and where the tradition of military service is deeply ingrained.
More and more, new recruits are the children of old recruits. In 2019, 79 percent of Army recruits reported having a family member who served. For nearly 30 percent, it was a parent — a striking point in a nation where less than 1 percent of the population serves in the military…
That has created a broad gap, easily seen on a map. The South, where the culture of military service runs deep and military installations are plentiful, produces 20 percent more recruits than would be expected, based on its youth population. The states in the Northeast, which have very few military bases and a lower percentage of veterans, produce 20 percent fewer.
The main predictors are not based on class or race. Army data show service spread mostly evenly through middle-class and “downscale” groups. Youth unemployment turns out not to be the prime factor. And the racial makeup of the force is more or less in line with that of young Americans as a whole, though African-Americans are slightly more likely to serve. Instead, the best predictor is a person’s familiarity with the military.”

Remembering Neil Peart, A Monster Drummer With A Poet’s Heart
“When Canadian prog-rock innovators Rush were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, it was both somewhat surprising and totally appropriate that drummer Neil Peart opened the trio’s acceptance speech. The musician and author, who passed away at the age of 67 on January 7 after a private, three-and-a-half-year struggle with brain cancer, famously eschewed the spotlight and rarely gave interviews. However, the Ontario native was a quiet leader who shaped Rush’s voice, writing the bulk of the band’s lyrics and maintaining a steely, rock-solid presence behind the drumkit.”
One of rocks greatest drummers. Side 1 of the Moving Pictures LP is my favorite from them (I still have it). Anyone else play air drums whenever the hear Tom Sawyer?