TweakHound

Computer stuff...

When We Wake Up, Will It Be Too Late?

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The Selfish Ledger
iVerge managed to get their hands on a 2016 internal video from Google. The video is embedded in the magazine style header at the top of the page. Someone uploaded a copy to YouTube if you prefer. There is also an excellent video breakdown of the issue at the bottom of the article worth watching. I would recommend watching it first. YouTube video here.
If this video doesn’t creep you out then either you don’t understand it or there is something wrong with you. Google plays this off as a “thought experiment”. Maybe, but it sure is a telling one.

“The Selfish Ledger positions Google as the solver of the world’s most intractable problems, fueled by a distressingly intimate degree of personal information from every user and an ease with guiding the behavior of entire populations. There’s nothing to suggest that this is anything more than a thought exercise inside Google, initiated by an influential executive. But it does provide an illuminating insight into the types of conversations going on within the company that is already the world’s most prolific personal data collector.“

Is this the future? Will we become what “they” want us to become? And, who watches the watchers?

It’s OK To Be Evil
With it’s bad behavior and publicity, I’m sure Google was tired of getting it’s “Don’t be evil” motto thrown back it’s face.
Solution? Remove the motto.

Thursday Random Stuff…

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Start10 Updated
Start10 is a Windows 10 start menu alternative. It is $5 and is my preferred start menu replacement.
Start10 v1.60
– Updated for Windows 1803 to fix searching in start menu
– Added new blur option for Windows 1803 (on by default)
– Links to the Games and Homegroup folders on Windows 1803 will not work(Microsoft deprecated those locations)
Download | Changelog

Off Topic
‘Solo’ is the worst ‘Star Wars’ movie since ‘Attack of the Clones,’ according to critics
“You will find only what you bring in.” – Yoda

Veteran Owned Breweries

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*** No longer being actively maintained due to lack of page hits, despite being the most accurate list and map of its kind.

This is an interactive table and map of breweries owned by United States Armed Forces Veterans.

As a veteran and craft beer lover it is my honor to put together and host this information. It is my hope you will use this to patronize these establishments or buy their beer where you can find it.
Please share any missing or inaccurate data.
This page is for beer only, breweries only (as in you have to make at least one beer on site).

last updated 12JULY2018

Veteran Owned Breweries

Map
https://goo.gl/maps/KcRogPTSurK2

This info was gathered from many sources too numerous to list. I’ve done my own work, please do not steal it.
For publishing info please contact me.

Thursday Morning Random Stuff…

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Firefox 60.0.1
Download:
en-US 64-bit
All Firefox Versions
Release Notes
***Please see comment from Dan below

CCleaner Updated
As of this writing, no release notes or announcement. Bugfixes? Previous build 5.42.140.6495. New build 5.42.148.6499.
Download (I use the portable version)

Net Neutrality
Dems passed a Net Neutrality bill. Don’t get too excited, it is expected to die in the House.

YouTube Music & YouTube Premium
WooHoo, another music subscription service.
As a teen I modified a TV antenna to pull in radio stations 101 WRIF out of Detroit and 105 WWCK out of Flint. It cost nothing.

Off Topic

Dog saves his buddy
Viral, feel-good video of the week.

Some calories more harmful than others
Short version – Soft drinks are bad for you. There was a time when I drank 2 liters of Coca-Cola a day. No exaggeration. I don’t remember the last time I had one.
On a side note. I find it amusing that we Americans call carbonated soft drinks by different names. I have found that.
– In the Great Lakes and mid-west areas it is called “pop”
– Most places in Northeast megalopolis call it “soda”
– Many place out west call it “soda pop”
– Down South, everything is “co-cola”

43% of milenials plan to leave their jobs within 2 years
“They don’t believe business shares their values, they don’t think business is doing enough to prepare them for the future, and they don’t feel business is sufficiently committed to improving society.”

Who is drinking the most? The drunkest (and driest) cities in America

Tuesday Random Stuff…

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Google Chrome Updated
“The stable channel has been updated to 66.0.3359.181 for Windows, Mac, and Linux”
Download

Google One Replacing Google Drive
Includes changes, improvements, more plans, and lower prices.
source: Google Blog

Off Topic

14 Energy-Draining Everyday Habits To Avoid
Short article, good stuff. Bookmark it and pass it on.

10 toast-worthy craft breweries owned by veterans
There are a lot more than 10. I’m working on a list.

36%% Off! – Sandisk Ultra 64GB Micro SDXC UHS-I Card with Adapter
List Price: $24.99
Deal of the Day: ends today
You Save:$9.00 (36%)

I’ve got the 32GB & 64GB models. The 128GB model is on sale at 44% off, only 70 cents more than the 64 gig.
“anodized, aircraft-grade aluminum housing is waterproof to 200 meters, vibration-resistant, and shock-resistant.”
Corsair Flash Survivor Stealth 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive
List Price: $61.99
Price: $34.99
You Save: $27.00 (44%)

Samsung’s newest, fastest SSDs are in stores.
Samsung 970 EVO 250GB – NVMe PCIe M.2 2280 SSD $109.99 (My top pick)
Samsung 960 PRO Series – 512GB PCIe NVMe – M.2 Internal SSD $309.45

Recommended Non-NVMe SSDs
Samsung 860 EVO 250GB 2.5 Inch SATA III Internal SSD $79.99
Samsung 860 PRO 256GB 2.5 Inch SATA III Internal SSD $124.99 (My top pick)

Monday Random Stuff…

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Adobe Updates
Bunch of vulnerabilities in both these products.
APSB18-17 Security updates available for Adobe Photoshop CC
To update open the app and go to Help > “Updates.”
APSB18-09 Security updates available for Adobe Acrobat and Reader
Download

Off Topic

15 Veteran-Owned Gear Brands You Should Know | HiConsumption

Boob Tube To YouTube
The NYT opines on Why Traditional TV Is in Trouble. They mean traditional broadcasters. Basically they say old farts are watching and youngsters aren’t.
My short list:
– Cable is expensive. The “TV packages” are made to make max money and make no sense.
– Low quality and irrelevant programming.
– Too many commercials. And, most of them range between bad and insulting.
– Binge watching is a far more enjoyable way to enjoy TV.

Single? Smile, But Don’t Be Happy
Some PhD says that smiling will get you la.. um…makes you more attractive. The advice for ladies is stop posing like a model. Not mentioned but I’ll just throw out, stop with the fish lips.
Dudes, apparently a prideful but not happy smile does the trick. All you single swipers out there, you’re welcome and you owe me bros.

Watch Harrison Ford Surprise Young Han Solo Alden Ehrenreich During ET Interview

Email Encryption Vulnerable

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“A group of European security researchers have released a warning about a set of vulnerabilities affecting users of PGP and S/MIME. EFF has been in communication with the research team, and can confirm that these vulnerabilities pose an immediate risk to those using these tools for email communication, including the potential exposure of the contents of past messages.“

Attention PGP Users: New Vulnerabilities Require You To Take Action Now

Officially called “EFAIL”: https://efail.de/

A number of platforms are said to be vulnerable.
Quotes include, “Email is no longer a secure communication medium” and “can confirm that these vulnerabilities pose an immediate risk to those using these tools for email communication, including the potential exposure of the contents of past messages.”.
IMHO there seems to be a bit of hysteria going on about this this morning. On the other hand, I’m no security expert so what do I know.

Protonmail has stated,
“ProtonMail is safe against the efail PGP vulnerability. The real vulnerability is implementation errors in various PGP clients. PGP (and OpenPGP) is fine. Any service that uses our @openpgpjs library is also safe as long the default settings aren’t changed.”

I dunno, I never really believed anything on a computer was 100% secure or private and tend to conduct myself accordingly. Of course I’m just an average, boring dude so I’ve no idea why someone would waste the effort to read my email.

There is gonna be a lot more to read on this in the coming days.

Weekend Random Stuff…

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This site was down yesterday morning. Something went FUBAR at my webhost. All seems to be good now.

Google Grapples With ‘Horrifying’ Reaction to Uncanny AI Tech
Wednesday I commented at Google screwing with us. Seems I wasn’t the only one commenting.
“Outside the Google technology bubble, critics pounced. The company is placing robots in conversations with humans, without those people realizing”
“Horrifying,” Zeynep Tufekci, a professor and frequent tech company critic, wrote on Twitter about Duplex. “Silicon Valley is ethically lost, rudderless and has not learned a thing.”

Drinking The Koolaid
Microsoft Build was last week. Developers and the Microsoft press were there.
Premium Paul Thurrott said. “Microsoft, Back on Track” (pay-walled)
iVerge, “But mixed within all of that were some exciting announcements: new Windows features, improvements for voice assistants, and helpful new cloud services.”
Cnet, “It’s all about AI and the web now.”
I don’t like here Windows is headed. I don’t like where Microsoft is headed. I don’t like where AI is headed.

‘Bout Time
IBM is banning removable media use for most employees, most of the time. IMHO most companies and government agencies should have done this a decade or more ago.

Off Topic
Stuff I bookmarked the last few days.

Yes, Pluto is a planet (great comment at Slashdot)

What Sunscreen Numbers Mean? Top-Rated SPF Products For This Summer

Map: The States That Drink The Most Beer In America (2018). I’m very disappointed in my state.

George Dickel Tennessee Whisky Releases New TABASCO® Brand Barrel Finish – A Partnership Made In The South. 2 of my favs, bourbon and Tabasco. Not sure how I feel about te combo but I gotta try it once. Did you know Tabasco is aged in barrels just like bourbon?

Cap2Cap Bike Ride
I’ve mentioned this before but we are fortunate in Virginia to have several great bike trails. The best one nearest me is called the Virginia Capital Trail.

“The Virginia Capital Trail is the product of a successful public-private partnership between the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation (VCTF).
The Virginia Capital Trail Foundation (VCTF) is a nonprofit, 501 (c)(3) organization, with a mission to enhance, promote, and advocate for the continued development of the Virginia Capital Trail, a 52-mile dedicated multi-use trail connecting Richmond and Williamsburg along the beautiful and historic Route 5 corridor.“

Yesterday was the annual fundraiser Cap2Cap ride. Distances of 15, 25, 50, and 100 miles are options. I did the 25 miler. Granted it was only about my 6th ride of the year but I don’t know how you guys manage to do 100 miles. My hats off to you!