TweakHound

Office Zero-Day
Both “Premium” Paul Thurrott and Neowin has said “Microsoft acknowledges” this vulnerability which Bleeping Computer reminds us:
“However, the attack is thwarted if Microsoft Office runs with the default configuration, where documents from the web are opened in Protected View mode or Application Guard for Office 365.”

ProtonMail removed “we do not keep any IP logs” from its privacy policy
“This weekend, news broke that security/privacy-focused anonymous email service ProtonMail turned over a French climate activist’s IP address and browser fingerprint to Swiss authorities. This move seemingly ran counter to the well-known service’s policies, which as recently as last week stated that “by default, we do not keep any IP logs which can be linked to your anonymous email account.”
Steve Gibson talks about this: “Internet Anonymity” is an Oxymoron

I Got My Metallica (Remastered) Today
I haven’t had a chance to listen yet. You can get just the CD or the Metallica (Remastered Deluxe Box Set)(5LP)(14CD)(6DVD). Here’s a special treat, Jason Newsted (the bassist that played on the album) does an unboxing.

Firefox 92
A few fixes and improvements. 5 security updates.
Download | Release Notes

Macrium Reflect 8.0.6036
Many fixes and additions.
Download | Release Info

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

Bosses turn to ‘tattleware’ to keep tabs on employees working from home
“Every minute or so, the program would capture a live photo of David and his workmates via their company laptop webcams. The ever-changing headshots were splayed across the wall of a digital conference waiting room that everyone on the team could see…These software programs give bosses a mix of options for monitoring workers’ online activity and assessing their productivity: from screenshotting employees’ screens to logging their keystrokes and tracking their browsing. But in the fast-growing bossware market, each platform potentially brings something new to the table. There’s FlexiSpy, which offers call-tapping; Spytech, which is known for mobile device access; and NetVizor, which has a remote takeover feature…Employers are reportedly drawing on in-house IT departments to monitor emails for flagged phrases at an increased rate compared with before the pandemic. By receiving alerts when certain employees are discussing “recruiter” or “salary”, for example, management hopes to know when employees are looking to up sticks for greener pastures.”

How Facebook Undermines Privacy Protections for Its 2 Billion WhatsApp Users
“WhatsApp has more than 1,000 contract workers filling floors of office buildings in Austin, Texas, Dublin and Singapore, where they examine millions of pieces of users’ content. Seated at computers in pods organized by work assignments, these hourly workers use special Facebook software to sift through streams of private messages, images and videos that have been reported by WhatsApp users as improper and then screened by the company’s artificial intelligence systems.”

It’s Time For A Flu Shot. Here’s What You Need To Know
Posted just for FYI. Not to be rude but I don’t care what your opinion is on this topic.

Win10 Updates
KB4023057: Update for Windows 10 Update Service components
“This update includes reliability improvements to Windows Update Service components in all editions of Windows 10”
Optional update: September 1, 2021—KB5005101 (OS Builds 19041.1202, 19042.1202, and 19043.1202) Preview
Many “Addresses an issue” updates. I went ahead and installed it.

PowerToys v0.45.0
A whole lot of fixes.
Download & Info

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

Opinion: It’s dangerously stupid to put your state ID in your Apple Wallet
“it’s giving law enforcement a clear and defensible point from which to compel you to unlock your phone. One that will sound good to juries and give prosecutors who like to pretend the Fifth Amendment doesn’t exist a leg to stand on.”

Mob Justice Is Trampling Democratic Discourse – The Atlantic

What should you do if someone tries to kidnap or abduct you?

Windows 11 available on October 5
“Today, we are thrilled to announce Windows 11 will start to become available on October 5, 2021. On this day, the free upgrade to Windows 11 will begin rolling out to eligible Windows 10 PCs and PCs that come pre-loaded with Windows 11 will start to become available for purchase.”

Just FYI, end of life for Windows 10 is currently Oct 14, 2025.

Nvidia Geforce Game Ready Drivers 471.96 WHQL
“support for 6 new G-SYNC Compatible displays…Updated scaling resolution in NVIDIA Image Sharpening”
Download | Release Notes

HWiNFO 7.10
A few fixes and improvments, supporrt for new hardware.
Download (I use portable) | Release Info

Google Chrome 93
“The Chrome team is delighted to announce the promotion of Chrome 93 to the stable channel for Windows, Mac and Linux…Chrome 93.0.4577.63 contains a number of fixes and improvements…This update includes 27 security fixes.”
Download | Release Info
Starting from Chrome 93, websites can verify phone numbers from desktop Chrome.

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:
[Read more…] about Tuesday Random Stuff…

CPU-Z 1.97
Support for new hardware.
Download Zip File (portable) | Home Page

Notepad++ 8.1.4
10 fixes.
Download & Info

iVerge – Several Best Buy stores will have Nvidia RTX 30-series GPUs available tomorrow
“Nvidia’s RTX 30-series graphics cards are next to impossible to find in stock, but Best Buy is offering PC gamers an opportunity to buy one on Thursday, August 26th. Select store locations will have stock, and if you find your local store on this page by using the drop-down options, it’ll be among the locations getting some GPUs for Thursday’s restock.
You can’t just show up at any time of the day and pick one up. In order to be eligible to buy one, you’ll need to arrive at your store before 7:30AM local time and queue up. That’s the time when Best Buy employees will give one ticket to each person in line until there are no more tickets. If you get a ticket, Best Buy says it guarantees that you can purchase one graphics card, so be early to ensure you get a ticket and that you can get the GPU you want. If you miss out this time, Best Buy seems to do these restock events every month or so.”
I popped over to the Best Buy site prices range from $400 all the way to $2,400.

Firefox 91.0.2
Two fixes.
Download | Release Notes

Audacity 3.0.4
Two fixes.
Download | Release Notes

Charlie Watts, the Rolling Stones’ Drummer and Inimitable Backbone, Dead at 80
His light touch, singular rhythmic sense, and impeccable feel, as heard on canonical rock songs such as “Paint It, Black,” “Gimme Shelter,” and “Brown Sugar,” made him both the engine that powered the Stones’ music and one of the most famous and respected drummers of all time.
As Keith Richards said in 1979: “Everybody thinks Mick and Keith are the Rolling Stones. If Charlie wasn’t doing what he’s doing on drums, that wouldn’t be true at all. You’d find out that Charlie Watts is the Stones.”
5 isolated drum tracks to prove that The Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts was a genius
Hard to argue with this list.
I’ve owned a copy of Hot Rocks 1964–1971 in some form or another since I was in my early teens and it remains one of my favs.
List of all their singles on the wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones_discography#Singles

Intel Network Adapter Driver for Windows 10
v26.4, Download & Info

EMDB 4.10
Free movie collection database software.
Download | What’s New

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:
[Read more…] about Monday Random Stuff…