TweakHound

Microsoft PowerToys Updated
Bugfixes
Download & Info (You want the PowerToysSetup.msi file towards the bottom of the page.)

Google Chrome 78.0.3904.87
2 security fixes.
Download (64-bit en-US) | All Downloads | Release Info

CrystalDiskMark 7.0.0e
This is one of the 2 SSD/Disk benchmark tools I use. There is no reason to install this. Just extract the zip and run the appropriate exe. I always run it from a different disk that the one I am benchmarking.
Download & Info | I’ve got it on my server too

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

The Chive – ‘The Breakfast Club’ will never get old… ever. (31 Photos)

Mouth cancer rates reach record high: Is oral sex to blame?
“While most cancers are on the decrease, cases of mouth cancer continue to rise at an alarming rate…According to their report, HPV causes an estimated 73 percent of oropharyngeal mouth cancers….In the US, the five-year survival rate for cancer in the oral cavity is about 57 percent. Those who live through it could have to do so without a tongue or jaw.”
A buddy of mine had part of his tongue removed because of this. He’s good now fortunately.
See: Should I get the HPV vaccine?
“All people ages 9 to 45 can get the HPV vaccine to protect against genital warts and/or different types of HPV that can cause cancer. It’s recommended that children get the vaccine at age 11 or 12, so they’re fully protected years before they become sexually active.
But regardless of your age, talk with your nurse or doctor to find out if the HPV vaccine could benefit you.”

AmazonBasics Home Keypad Safe On Sale
I bought the 1.2 back in July. The 1.52 is the best deal right now.
1.2 Cubic Feet (16% off) | 1.52 Cubic Feet (21% off) | 1.8 Cubic Feet (15% off)

Firefox 70.0.1
-Fix for an issue that caused some websites or page elements using dynamic JavaScript to fail to load. (Bug 1592136)
-Update OpenH264 video plugin for macOS 10.15 users (Bug 1587543)
-Title bar no longer shows in full screen view (Bug 1588747)
-OpenH264 video codec version bump for macOS 10.15 users (Bug 1587543)
Download (64-bit en-US) | All Downloads | Release Notes

Macrium Reflect 7.2.4523
Several fixes. Most related to rescue media.
Download | Release Notes
Thanks Arthur!

Samsung NVM Express Driver v3.2
“Enhanced security for installation”
Download & Info (I’ve got it here if you can’t get it from the download page)
The installer will not even launch on my Win10 1903 rig. So I guess the “security” is working.

Intel Wireless Bluetooth for Windows 10 v21.50.0
Several fixes including, “driver has been updated to include functional and security updates. Users should update to the latest version.”
Download | Release Notes

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

Exclusive: Veterans want answers as new data shows rise in cancers over two decades of war
“Veterans saw a spike in urinary, prostate, liver and blood cancers during nearly two decades of war, and some military families now question whether their exposure to toxic environments is to blame, according to a McClatchy investigation.”
Well let’s see. I was in the Gulf War. The sky was black from burning oil wells the entire time I was there. For a month we had “burn pits” going every day. My shot record is a mile long including the anthrax vaccine and god knows what else what they actually injected us with. I remember when I was stationed in Germany we got alerted for possible emergency deployment to another continent. They lined us up and gave us 1/2 a dozen shots. Most were with the jetgun (vets you know what I’m talking about). I remember it vividly because our unit veterinarian also doubled as our medic (short on personnel because of budget cuts). At some point in the middle of this, this individual passed out face first into the gym floor. None of those shots ever made it into our shot records. Anyway, I digress.
If you’re a vet or love one you should read this.

Michigan man sentenced in toss of rock off overpass that killed vehicle passenger
I discussed this here: https://www.tweakhound.com/2017/10/24/rock-dropping-punks/
“A 19-year-old from Michigan — who was the oldest suspect in a group that threw a large rock off of an overpass, killing a man — was sentenced Tuesday to serve between 39 months and 20 years in prison, according to reports.
Kyle Anger pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after dropping a six-pound rock from an overpass in Vienna Township, about 80 miles north of Detroit, in October 2017.
Prosecutors said Anger threw the rock that smashed through a truck’s windshield and killed 32-year-old Kenneth White, who was a passenger in the car on his way home from work.”
WTF kinda sentence is that? The family of the victim is understandably upset.
“A young man was taken from a family, a loving, caring family and he was a loving, caring, compassionate person and now his son has to grow up, his daughter has to grow up…without him,” said Simpson. “Where is the fairness here? 39 months for murder…This is a great injustice. This is a slap in my face. This is a slap in my son’s face.”

The Link Between Diet, Exercise and Alzheimer’s
Paywalled
“Among healthy patients, people who made changes in nutrition and exercise showed cognitive improvements on average. People who were already experiencing some memory problems also showed cognitive improvement—if they followed at least 60% of the recommended changes.
It’s unclear whether the lifestyle changes can actually help prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease, or simply improve cognition
Here are some of the lifestyle changes that Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork Presbyterian, says might help improve your cognitive abilities, depending on your body type and medical profile. Patients should consult a doctor before taking any steps.
*Eat a half-cup of blueberries and strawberries two to three times a week.
*Eat two to three servings per week of wild fish, which are high in Omega-3 fatty acids.
*Add powdered cocoa flavanols to coffee, smoothies or skim milk.
*Practice good sleep hygiene: Sleep at least 7.5 hours a day, avoid caffeinated drinks after 1 p.m., go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, and avoid electronics, texting and email 30-45 minutes before bed.
*Exercise at least three times a week with a mix of aerobic and resistance/weight training.
*Have one tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil daily.
*Cut back on sugar and carbohydrates and look for whole grains and foods with high amounts of fiber.
*Play a musical instrument.
*Learn something new, such as a foreign language.
*Minimize stress through activities like meditation.”

Microsoft PowerToys Updated
Added a batch rename utility called PowerRename.
Download & Info (You want the PowerToysSetup.msi file towards the bottom of the page.)

Nvidia Geforce Game Ready WHQL Driver 441.08
Adds support for 2 new video cards. Pretty meh release. I’m skipping it.
Download | Release Notes

Win10 Rumors
1909 on November 5th or 12th. Yep, that’s all I got.

Remove And Block GWX In Windows 7 UPDATED
A small fix.

AMD Radeon Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.10.2 Optional
Support For CoD: Modern Warfare, The Outer Worlds, Chernobylite and a few fixed issues.
Download | Release Notes

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

The FCC is using streaming services as an excuse to raise cable rates
“The rise of streaming services could give cable companies an excuse to raise rates under a Federal Communications Commission order handed down on October 25th. The order, which comes in response to a petition by Charter, finds that AT&T’s TV Now streaming service qualifies as reasonable competition for conventional cable, opening the door to a massive deregulation in monopoly cable markets.”

Comcast Is Lobbying Against Encryption That Could Prevent it From Learning Your Browsing History
“Internet giant Comcast is lobbying U.S. lawmakers against plans to encrypt web traffic that would make it harder for internet service providers (ISPs) to determine your browsing history, according to a lobbying presentation obtained by Motherboard.
The plan, which Google intends to implement soon, would enforce the encryption of DNS data made using Chrome, meaning the sites you visit. Privacy activists have praised Google’s move. But ISPs are pushing back as part of a wider lobbying effort against encrypted DNS, according to the presentation. Technologists and activists say this encryption would make it harder for ISPs to leverage data for things such as targeted advertising, as well as block some forms of censorship by authoritarian regimes.”

Speaking Truth to Power: Reflections on My Career at Microsoft
“The future trajectory of Microsoft depends in large part on Satya’s actual commitment to his publicly professed desire to create a more diverse and humble company. One can make a case, citing the examples above, that Microsoft is making progress. But my former female colleagues who reviewed this document in advance of its publication are unconvinced. ”
Some interesting insights but using the phrase “Speaking Truth to Power” in this manner is an insult to the people and movements who actually have.
“Speaking truth to power is a non-violent political tactic, employed by dissidents against the received wisdom or propaganda of governments they regard as oppressive, authoritarian or an ideocracy. The phrase originated with a Pendle Hill pamphlet Speak Truth to Power: a Quaker Search for an Alternative to Violence, published in 1955. Speak Truth To Power is also the title of a global Human Rights initiative under the auspices of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. Practitioners who have campaigned for a more just and truthful world have included Vaclav Havel, Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mahatma Gandhi, the Dalai Lama and Elie Wiesel”

Alzheimer’s drug that failed early tests now dubbed effective, heads to FDA
“Those who received higher doses of aducanumab “experienced significant benefits on measures of cognition and function such as memory, orientation, and language,” the company reported. Those patients also saw benefits in daily activities, such as while they were managing their personal finances, cleaning, doing laundry, shopping, and traveling outside their homes.“