1.7.1404 – released December 03, 2019
NEW: Category “Activity History and Clipboard” added
NEW: Disable user activity recordings
NEW: Disable saving the activity history of users on this device
NEW: Disable transfer of user activity to Microsoft
NEW: Deactivate storage of the history of the clipboard
NEW: Disable transfer of the clipboard to other devices via the cloud
FIX: Display of menus on touchscreen corrected
FIX: Adjustments to the HighContrast modes
Available in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Chinese (simplified)
Cool Tools
PowerToys Returns
Started with Windows 95, PowerToys became really useful under Windows XP. A new release of PowerToys for Windows 10 contains only two apps right now:
[Read more…] about PowerToys Returns
Patch Tuesday
Windows 7-10 updated.
This may or may not be the last update before the May 2018 feature update.
Windows 7
May 14, 2019—KB4499175 (Security-only update)
May 14, 2019—KB4499164 (Monthly Rollup)
Windows 8.1
May 14, 2019—KB4499165 (Security-only update)
May 14, 2019—KB4499151 (Monthly Rollup)
Windows 10
1809 – May 14, 2019—KB4494441 (OS Build 17763.503)
1803 – May 14, 2019—KB4499167 (OS Build 17134.765)
1709 – May 14, 2019—KB4499179 (OS Build 16299.1146)
Other Software:
Audacity 2.3.2
Download | Release Notes | Home Page
CCleaner 5.57
A whole lotta ‘meh’. I’d skip it.
Download (I use portable) | Release Announcement
See also: Blocking A Programs Internet Access Via The Windows Firewall
Adobe Reader Updated
Download en-US | All Downloads | Security Bulletin | Release Notes
Using Macrium Reflect Boot Media
First and foremost, I do not backup from within Windows. I only use the boot CD.
Why? After many years of backup and restoring Windows and Linux I have seen just about every method fail at one time or another.
It is my belief that the only way to do an Operating System backup and restore is:
1 – Only use system images.
2 – Not to be using that OS. This is referred to as being offline.
[Read more…] about Using Macrium Reflect Boot Media
Patch Tuesday
Windows Update
Updates available for all currently supported versions of Windows. Updates for Flash and .Net available where applicable.
Windows 7
January 8, 2019—KB4480970 (Monthly Rollup)
January 8, 2019—KB4480960 (Security-only update)
Windows 8.1
January 8, 2019—KB4480963 (Monthly Rollup)
January 8, 2019—KB4480964 (Security-only update)
Windows 10
1809 – January 8, 2019—KB4480116 (OS Build 17763.253)
1803 – January 8, 2019—KB4480966 (OS Build 17134.523)
1709 – January 8, 2019—KB4480978 (OS Build 16299.904)
– – – – – –
Wise Disk Cleaner 10.1.5 Released
Download (I use portable) | Release Info
Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:
Hey Apple, what happens on iPhones doesn’t stay there, and your ‘clever’ CES ad is promoting a dangerous illusion
That’s a cute ad you have in Las Vegas for the CES tech convention. “What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone” is both a good dig at your rivals and a clever restating of Sin City’s popular catch phrase.
But it’s literally a lie. What happens on customers’ iPhones doesn’t stay on them — and you know it.
Preach
Survey: Americans Warming to Use of Facial Recognition Tech
I’m not sure I buy the results of the study. If it is even close to true then, well, SMH.
Came up in an email convo with a reader and friend:
SiriusXM stations I mostly listen to:
Hair Nation ’80s Hair Bands
Ozzy’s Boneyard Ozzy’s Classic Hard Rock
Classic Rewind ’70s/’80s Classic Rock
O&O ShutUp10 Updated
Wednesday Random Stuff…
I’ve got Win10 1809 running on 3 machines. Although I have a few minor errors in the logs I’ve no issues yet.
Firefox 62.0.3
Download (all) | Download 32-bit EN-US | Download 64-bit EN-US
Release Notes
Thanks Scott!
Winaero Tweaker for Windows 10 version 1809
A few fixes and several new features
Download & Info
Intel Graphics Driver for Windows 10
Version: 25.20.100.6323 Date: 10/1/2018
Highlights
Windows 10 October 2018 Update Launch Driver
HDR for embedded laptop panels Launch Driver
Download
Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:
‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Negative Buzz Amplified by Russian Trolls, Study Finds
“finds evidence of deliberate, organized political influence measures disguised as fan arguments…Overall, 50.9% of those tweeting negatively [about the movie] was likely politically motivated or not even human”
How Likely Are You To Have a Deer Collision?
“West Virginia continues to top the list of states where an individual driver is most likely to run into a deer. Some good news for West Virginian’s though, this year while West Virginia continues to be No. 1 on the top 10 list, the likelihood of having an insurance claim involving a deer was 1 in 46 — down three points from last year.
Montana (one in 57 chance of a crash), Pennsylvania (one in 63 chance of a crash), and Wisconsin also remain at the top of list. Rounding out the top 10 states where drivers are most likely to collide with large animals like deer, elk, moose or caribou are Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Wyoming, and Mississippi. The months drivers are most likely to collide with a large animal in the U.S. are (in order) November, October, and December.”
Interactive map there too.
1-in-3 pass ‘US Citizenship test,’ just 19% for Americans 45 and younger
“Among the embarrassing errors uncovered in the survey of questions taken from the U.S. Citizenship Test and conducted by Lincoln Park Stragtegies:
72 percent of respondents either incorrectly identified or were unsure of which states were part of the 13 original states.
24 percent could correctly identify one thing Benjamin Franklin was famous for, with 37 percent believing he invented the lightbulb.
12 percent incorrectly thought WWII General Dwight Eisenhower led troops in the Civil War.
2 percent said the Cold War was caused by climate change.”
Perhaps it is time to require you pass this test before being allowed to vote?
Try for yourself. Took me less than 2 minutes.
USCIS – Civics Practice Test
Washington Times – US Citizenship Test – Could You Pass?
CNN – Can YOU pass the U.S. citizenship test? Take this quiz
Wednesday Morning Random Stuff…
Chrome 69 Desktop & Android Released
“The Chrome team is delighted to announce the promotion of Chrome 69 to the stable channel for Windows, Mac and Linux”
Download | Download standalone(full) | Download standalone 64-bit Windows version(full)
“Chrome for Android 69 (69.0.3497.76) has been released and will be available on Google Play over the course of the next few weeks.”
Download
Firefox 62 Is Out
Download (all) | Download 32-bit EN-US | Download 64-bit EN-US
Release Notes
Other Software Updates
AS SSD Benchmark 2.0.6821.41776
HWiNFO 5.88 (I use portable version)
Wise Disk Cleaner 9.7.6 (I use portable version)
Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:
The military secret to falling asleep in two minutes
“The technique is said to work for 96 per cent of people after six weeks of practice.”
Hmmmm, I dunno…
Hero siblings lift overturned SUV from roadside ditch, save couple and baby
“I saw that water was seeping into the car, where it was turned upside down,” Allen said. “We tried to break the windows, but that didn’t work. So the only thing I could think of was to flip the car over. So I told my sister to help me so we could flip it over to its side. So what happened is after we flipped it over to the side, I took my shirt off and wrapped it around my fist and I used my fist to break the windshield off.”
Well done!
Thursday Random Stuff…
CCleaner 5.46
Download (I use the portable version) | Release Announcment
I keep getting questions so…
Yes, I still use CCleaner. Yes, I still recommend CCleaner. But, though many seem not to listen, I keep telling folks NOT TO INSTALL IT. It doesn’t need to be installed and all the issues that have come up have been from the installed versions.
Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:
Google makes it easier for veterans to find jobs, as well as businesses led by other service members
“The first new initiative, through Grow with Google, adds new features to a search for “jobs for veterans.” Enter your military code (MOS, AFSC, NEC, etc.) and Google will surface results for civilian job listings that require a similar skill set. Partnerships with other companies will also make this possible on services that use Google’s Cloud Talent Solution, such as FedEx Careers, Encompass Health Careers, Siemens Careers, and more.”
Yahoo and AOL scan your inbox for advertising purposes
Google and Microsoft claim they don’t.
Logged off: meet the teens who refuse to use social media
“It is widely believed that young people are hopelessly devoted to social media. Teenagers, according to this stereotype, tweet, gram, Snap and scroll. But for every young person hunched over a screen, there are others for whom social media no longer holds such an allure. These teens are turning their backs on the technology – and there are more of them than you might think.”
Outstanding!
Which Social Media Site Is Tops Among Teens? Not Facebook
“This group favors another social channel above all others — Snapchat.”
I’m a little confused by the term “social media”. I take it to mean sites like Facebook and Twitter. Sites like Instagram and Snapchat are listed as “social media” but I just don’t see the resemblance. Am I wrong?
Dairy and meat ‘beneficial for heart health and longevity’
This Man Had to Have His Arm Amputated After Eating Raw Seafood
Warning, nasty pic there. I rarely eat sushi but I love me some raw oysters. I try to stick to the “months with R” advice.
Days you’re most likely to get a ticket.
“According to our figures, ticket volume spiked significantly toward the end of the month: The 28th, 29th, 30th, and 31st were all among the top five days for tickets.”
If you ask you local and state police they swear up and down there are not any ticket quotas. This article shows that to be Bravo Sierra.
Master of Marketing
New web site, a watch line, and now Blackened American Whiskey.
Master of puppets, I’m pulling your strings
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can’t see a thing
Just call my name ’cause I’ll hear you scream
Master, master!
Just call my name ’cause I’ll hear you scream
Master, master!
Viking Cruises bans children, says clients want kid-free vacations
Warner Bros’ Wile E. Coyote Movie Finds Its Scribes In The Silberman Brothers
“Road Runner’s nemesis, Wile E. Coyote a.k.a. ‘Super Genius’, is getting his own big screen feature and Deadline has learned that Jon and Josh Silberman, the supervising producers behind CBS’ Living Biblically have been hired to write Coyote Vs. Acme.”
I always wanted the coyote to catch and barbecue the road runner. When I was younger had this patch on my snowmobile suit and the sticker on my snowmobile:
Friday Random Stuff…
Battle Royal
Who ya got? Poll up in the right sidebar. Polls not working correctly.
Intel wants PCs to be more than just ‘personal computers’
vs
Eric wants PCs to be just ‘personal computers’
Wise Disk Cleaner Updated
Version 9.7.5.692 brings “improvements” and “fixes”.
Download ( I use the portable version. )
openSUSE 15
Forgot to mention this. Leap 15 was released last week. It use kernel 4.12 released last July. Current LTS in 4.14+. Current Stable is 4.16+.
I don’t get it. Fail.
Off Topic
“We live for the One, we die for the One”
Wikipedia | IMDB
Babylon 5 is one of my all time favorite Sci-Fi series. It is finally available for streaming. (I’ve got the DVD set)
Babylon 5 on Amazon Prime
Babylon 5 DVD Babylon 5: The Complete Collection Series
This poster is on my wall.
Stuff I Bookmarked:
A newspaper columnist’s rant against cheeseburgers gives hamburger loyalists the hero they deserve
Heroes don’t always wear capes.
Facebook, Amazon, and hundreds of companies post targeted job ads that screen out older workers
IMHO this practice is widespread and along with being illegal is short-sighted and disgusting.
Countries With the Widest Gaps Between Rich and Poor
The U.S. is #9 and that is sad.
Scientists race to find who is pumping an incredibly dangerous gas into the atmosphere
China. There, I solved it for you.
AI better than dermatologists at detecting skin cancer, study finds
“At first look, dermatologists correctly detected an average of 87 percent of melanomas, and accurately identified an average of 73 percent of lesions that were not malignant. Conversely, the CNN correctly detected 95 percent of melanomas.”
Interesting but isn’t that why they send it out for a biopsy?
Question Club: Where should Star Wars go after Solo’s box office disappointment?
Disappointment to who? Its opening weekend was a holiday weekend and most sane people hate the movie theater. PPV and DVD by this fall at a fraction of the price to take your family to the theater.