TweakHound

Weekend Random Stuff…

December 29, 2019, 11:28(EST) By Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Not much going on out there. Life has me busy.

Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver Updated
Windows 10 only, Version: 17.7.0.1006, Date: 12/26/2019
Download & Info

UN backs Russia on internet convention, alarming rights advocates
“The United Nations on Friday approved a Russian-led bid that aims to create a new convention on cybercrime, alarming rights groups and Western powers that fear a bid to restrict online freedom.
The General Assembly approved the resolution sponsored by Russia and backed by China, which would set up a committee of international experts in 2020.”

Shows I’ve streamed lately:

December 29, 2019, 11:27(EST) By Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Netflix – The Kominsky Method
Acting coach Sandy Kominsky and best friend Norman Newlander keep each other laughing as they navigate the ups and downs of getting older.
Starring: Michael Douglas, Alan Arkin, Sarah Baker

Netflix – The Ranch
Being a pro athlete didn’t pan out for Colt. Now he’s helping his dad and brother keep the ranch afloat, and figuring out how he fits into the family.
Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Sam Elliott, Debra Winger

Netflix – Madam Secretary
When a highly capable woman becomes secretary of state, she struggles to find balance between the demands of world politics and those of her family.
Starring: Téa Leoni, Tim Daly, Bebe Neuwirth

Netflix – The Blacklist
After turning himself in, a brilliant fugitive offers to help the FBI bag other baddies, but only if rookie profiler Elizabeth Keen is his partner.
Starring: James Spader, Megan Boone, Diego Klattenhof

Netflix – The West Wing (again)
This powerful political epic chronicles the triumphs and travails of White House senior staff under the administration of President Josiah Bartlet.
Starring: Martin Sheen, Rob Lowe, Allison Janney, many greats

Amazon – Friday Night Lights
A drama that follows the lives of the Dillon Panthers, one of the nation’s best high school football teams, and their head coach Eric Taylor.

Amazon – The Man In the High Castle
In a dystopian America dominated by Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, a young woman discovers a mysterious film that may hold the key to toppling the totalitarian regimes.

Amazon – Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
An up-and-coming CIA analyst, Jack Ryan, is thrust into a dangerous field assignment as he uncovers a pattern in terrorist communication that launches him into the center of a dangerous gambit.

Amazon – FAT: A Documentary
Health expert Vinnie Tortorich exposes the history behind myths and lies regarding healthy eating, fat and weight loss.

Amazon – Inside Metal: Pioneers Of L.A. Hard Rock And Metal
Inside Metal is an original documentary series dedicated to Heavy Metal music and its diverse array of musical styles and genres. Features Lars Ulrich (Metallica), Stephen Pearcy (Ratt), Carlos Cavazo (Quiet Riot, Ratt, Snow), Jack Russell (Great White, Dante Fox), Don Dokken (Dokken), Joey Vera (Armored Saint), Chris Holmes (W.A.S.P.), Ann Boleyn (Hellion), Michael DesBarres and many others.

Amazon – Inside Metal: The LA Metal Scene Explodes
Inside Metal is a documentary series dedicated to Heavy Metal music and its diverse array of styles and genres. LA Metal Scene Explodes is the second, two-volume title in the Inside Metal series. Featuring in-depth interviews with metal icons such as Lars Ulrich, Stephen Pearcy, Mike Inez, Carlos Cavazo and tons more.

Amazon – The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years
Documentary showcase, what life was like for the music artists living during the Los Angeles Heavy Metal scene in the mid and late 1980s.
Starring: Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Alice Cooper

Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2019, 17:03(EST) By Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

I wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas. I hope you find some joy this season.

Christmas Eve Random Stuff…

December 24, 2019, 17:00(EST) By Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

FinalCrypt 6.3.1 Download | Changelog
Macrium Reflect 7.2.4601 Download | Release Notes

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

MUST READ – One Nation, Tracked An investigation into the smartphone tracking industry from Times Opinion (Links at bottom of article). Mentioned earlier. Series now complete.
Bypass Paywalls Firefox | Bypass Paywalls Chrome
Part 1 – Twelve Million Phones, One Dataset, Zero Privacy
Part 2 – Protect Yourself
Part 3 – National Security
Part 4 – How It Works
Part 5 – One Neighborhood
Part 6 – Protests
Part 7 – Solutions

*$#!^ New Yorkers react to being named ‘rudest city in America’
“Americans think New Yorkers are the biggest jerks in the country, according to a new survey — released just days before Christmas, no less.”
Many of us also think as a group you are self-important. Can’t put all the blame on you though. Every media outlet acts like life starts and stops there. The rest of us just roll our eyes at that notion. And yes, I’ve been to New York. It was summertime in the mid 80’s and the entire city smelled like urine.

Dan’s Disaster: How the Washington Redskins Plummeted to Rock Bottom
“The professional football team in the nation’s capital was the hottest ticket in town for decades. But under Dan Snyder’s ownership, the franchise has lost a lot of games and managed to alienate even some of its most dedicated fans. What made one of most unshakable fandoms in America give up on its team?”
Four of us used to go up there to one game a year and tailgate like it was our last party. That’s over now, we’ve all lost interest. I haven’t watched a full football game of any kind this year. I still root for Dallas to lose though.

Zac Brown Band – The Woods (Official Music Video)

Weekend Random Stuff…

December 21, 2019, 08:52(EST) By Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Latest Downloads
AMD Radeon Adrenalin 2020 Edition 19.12.3 Optional Drivers Download | Release Notes
Intel Graphics – Windows 10 DCH Drivers 26.20.100.7584
Sysinternals Process Explorer v16.31
Sysinternals Process Monitor v3.53
Winaero Tweaker 0.16.1 Download | Info

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

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
As usual we went to the first showing. I liked it. I don’t understand the negative reviews.

Twelve Million Phones, One Dataset, Zero Privacy
“After spending months sifting through the data, tracking the movements of people across the country and speaking with dozens of data companies, technologists, lawyers and academics who study this field, we feel the same sense of alarm. In the cities that the data file covers, it tracks people from nearly every neighborhood and block, whether they live in mobile homes in Alexandria, Va., or luxury towers in Manhattan.”
This is part one of a series of articles called One Nation, Tracked An investigation into the smartphone tracking industry from Times Opinion (Links at bottom of article).
Bypass Paywalls Firefox | Bypass Paywalls Chrome
Part 2 – Protect Yourself
Part 3 – National Security
Part 4 – How It Works
Part 5 – One Neighborhood
Coming Sunday Protests
Coming Sunday Solutions

Wawa announces data breach at ‘potentially all’ locations
“The malware accessed customers’ payment card information, including credit and debit card numbers, expiration dates and cardholder names at potentially inside the store and at the self-serve pumps”

Over 267 million Facebook users had their names, phone numbers, and profiles exposed thanks to a public database, researcher says
#DeleteFacebook

Alienated, Alone And Angry: What The Digital Revolution Really Did To Us
“Here is the most alienating fact about the Digital Nation we live in: It incentivizes forms of engagement that make Americans feel less empowered and more alone than ever, to the benefit of very few. It seizes some of the best, noblest human instincts — to share, to know, to connect, to belong — and harnesses them to a degrading system of profit. Anesthetization to these conditions is dangerous. Cynicism and powerlessness are the hallmarks of another form of digital life, an authoritarian one Americans should badly want to avoid.”

The Miseducation of the American Boy
“Why boys crack up at rape jokes, think having a girlfriend is “gay,” and still can’t cry—and why we need to give them new and better models of masculinity“

Linux Mint 19.3 Released

December 18, 2019, 15:21(EST) By Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

“Linux Mint 19.3 is a long term support release which will be supported until 2023. It comes with updated software and brings refinements and many new features to make your desktop even more comfortable to use.”
Download & Info:
Linux Mint 19.3 “Tricia” Cinnamon released!
Linux Mint 19.3 “Tricia” MATE released!
Linux Mint 19.3 “Tricia” Xfce released!
How to upgrade to Linux Mint 19.3

Wednesday Morning Random Stuff…

December 18, 2019, 07:05(EST) By Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Google Chrome Updated
Version 79.0.3945.88 for Windows/Mac/Linux and 79.0.3945.93 for Android.
Download | Release Info
Android: Download | Release Info

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

The Most Popular Christmas Cookie in Every State
“While not unique to Christmastime, chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies with frosting are staples during the holiday season and favorites among Americans. By count of state, sugar cookies with frosting was overall the favorite Christmas cookie in the U.S. It won the most popular Christmas cookie in 21 of the 50 states.”
Everyone that didn’t pick gingerbread is wrong.

Top Gun: Maverick (2020) – New Trailer

Friday Random Stuff…

December 13, 2019, 16:26(EST) By Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Thanks to readers Arthur and Allen for a few of these.

AMD Radeon Adrenalin 2020 Edition 19.12.2 Recommended WHQL Drivers
Support for RX 5500 XT, performance improvements, new Radeon Software, lots of other stuff. Be sure to see the release notes.
Download | Release Notes

Macrium Reflect 7.2.4557
A few small fixes
Download | Release Notes

FinalCrypt 6.1.1
Download | Changelog | Home Page

IrfanView 4.54
Download & Info | History of changes

Americans Ranked The 50 Greatest Christmas Movies Of All Time, And I Am Very Disappointed In Everyone
My Top Eleven
1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1967)
2. Scrooged (1988)
3. A Charlie Brown Christmas
4. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
5. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
6. A Christmas Carol / Scrooge (Almost any year)
7. The Santa Clause
8. Frosty the Snowman
9. Four Christmases
10. It’s a Wonderful Life
11. Bad Santa
What say you?