Computer News

I’ve been sick for almost a month. A sinus infection turned into acute bronchitis because the inept doctors at my local urgent care center wouldn’t prescribe an antibiotic when it was obvious I needed it. I’ve been on doxycycline hyclate (antibiotic) and prednisone (steroid to help breathing) for several days now. I haven’t been focusing well. Here at TweakHound.com some misspelling and general rambling have ensued and I apologize. I’m gonna take a few days off. I might head up towards the mountains and hit a few breweries.

Macrium Reflect v7.2.4156
Bugfixes, support large cluster size (NTFS)
Download | Release Notes

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

Office Depot And Partner Ordered To Pay $35 Million For Tricking Consumers Into Thinking They Had Malware
“Consumers have a hard enough time protecting their computers from malware, viruses, and other threats,” said FTC Chairman Joe Simons. “This case should send a strong message to companies that they will face stiff consequences if they use deception to trick consumers into buying costly services they may not need.”
LOL. The ENTIRE industry uses those tactics.

Hundreds of millions of Facebook records exposed on Amazon cloud servers
One of the companies stored 146 gigabytes of data containing more than 540 million records, including comments, likes, reactions and account names, on the Amazon servers, according to UpGuard. The number of users whose data was included is not yet clear.
#DeleteFacebook

‘Beyond Sketchy’: Facebook Demanding Some New Users’ Email Passwords
I don’t know what’s worse. The ignorance of asking for the password or the ignorance of giving it. #DeleteFacebook

25 Years Later: Interview with Linus Torvalds
I didn’t find the interview interesting until this:
But, I absolutely detest modern “social media”—Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. It’s a disease. It seems to encourage bad behavior.
I think part of it is something that email shares too, and that I’ve said before: “On the internet, nobody can hear you being subtle”. When you’re not talking to somebody face to face, and you miss all the normal social cues, it’s easy to miss humor and sarcasm, but it’s also very easy to overlook the reaction of the recipient, so you get things like flame wars, etc., that might not happen as easily with face-to-face interaction…
Add in anonymity, and it’s just disgusting. When you don’t even put your real name on your garbage (or the garbage you share or like), it really doesn’t help.
I’m actually one of those people who thinks that anonymity is overrated. Some people confuse privacy and anonymity and think they go hand in hand, and that protecting privacy means that you need to protect anonymity. I think that’s wrong. Anonymity is important if you’re a whistle-blower, but if you cannot prove your identity, your crazy rant on some social-media platform shouldn’t be visible, and you shouldn’t be able to share it or like it.

People need to wake up to dangers of AI, warns Google ethics adviser
“AI is the single most disruptive force that humanity has ever encountered and my concern is that so much of the discussion that we hear about now is very incremental,” said De Kai, a professor at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, in an interview this week. “We are near an era when people can easily produce weapons such as fleets of armed AI drones … the cat is out of the bag.”
I would put the odds at better than even AI will be our undoing. I dunno, maybe I’m just in a mood.

Ex-Mozilla CTO: US border cops demanded I unlock my phone, laptop at SF airport – and I’m an American citizen
“On this trip, the kiosk directed me to a Customs and Border Patrol agent who kept my passport and sent me to secondary inspection,” Gal said. “There I quickly found myself surrounded by three armed agents wearing bullet proof vests. They started to question me aggressively regarding my trip, my current employment, and my past work for Mozilla, a non-profit organization dedicated to open technology and online privacy.”
I don’t fly much. Don’t care if I ever do again. Folks making comments on this article talk about burner phones and laptops for travel…

Luigi that ordered a Tweak Guide:
I need a legit email addy bro!

AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.4.1 Optional
Bugfixes
Download | Release Notes

Microsoft Office 365 Updated
Non-Security update Version 1903 (Build 11425.20202)
How to check for Office updates.

O&O AppBuster Updated
Win10 app uninstaller from the same folks who make O&O ShutUp10.
Download & Info | Changelog

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

IT and security professionals think normal people are just the worst
Two surveys of IT and security experts suggest they put most of the blame for data insecurity at the feet of ignorant, careless employees.
I’ve been out of IT for quite some time. The biggest issue I saw back then was organizations not willing to spend what it takes to secure their network and data. As for “ignorant, careless employees”, always has been, always will be the case.

Google’s constant product shutdowns are damaging its brand
We are 91 days into the year, and so far, Google is racking up an unprecedented body count. If we just take the official shutdown dates that have already occurred in 2019, a Google-branded product, feature, or service has died, on average, about every nine days.
Google is till copying Microsoft I see.

A Mystery Religion Pre-Dated The Incas by 500 Years, Stunning Lake Discovery Reveals
For long before the Incas held dominion over the sweeping lands stretching from Colombia to Chile, an even more mysterious and ancient society inhabited this elevated Andean region.
This older empire was called the Tiwanaku state, whom we know even less about.

Dear Tickmaster,
I’ve never bought tickets for a soccer match on your site. I’ve never even looked for tickets for a soccer match on your site. I wouldn’t go to a soccer match unless you paid me, a lot, a whole lot. Oh, and beer, I’ll need a lot of that too. Stop sending me emails to buy tickets for a soccer match on your site.
Thanks

I Lost One Of My Windows 7 PCs This Weekend
Mobo was Intel DG965OT circa 2006. Moved to another case an expanded and CPU upgraded. It was my wifes PC. She only occasionally used it for shopping and surfing.
USB keyboard and mouse stopped working. Hmmm… Did an update break something? Reboot…keyboard not found. Changed keyboard, same thing. Complete shutdown, unplug power for a minute, reboot, same thing. Plug into different ports, same thing. Maybe PSU going bad? Swap in different PSU, nope. Not worth any more effort. I’ll keep the parts around.

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

In An Increasingly Polarized America, Is It Possible To Be Civil On Social Media?
No.

The share of Americans not having sex has reached a record high
But among the 23 percent of adults — or nearly 1 in 4 — who spent the year in a celibate state, a much larger than expected number of them were twentysomething men, according to the latest data from the General Social Survey.
Bros?! You need to step up your game! Get off of social media and put down the game controller.

Governor’s push for handheld cellphone ban appears doomed
Slaybaugh said that Northam’s proposal is not germane to the original legislation related only to work zones and noted that lawmakers already failed to pass a broad “hands-free driving” bill earlier this year.
Well that’s the rub isn’t it? You should’ve passed the “hands-free driving” bill. Irresponsible.

Snapshot of extinction: Fossils show day of killer asteroid
New research released Friday captures a fossilized snapshot of the day nearly 66 million years ago when an asteroid smacked Earth, fire rained from the sky and the ground shook far worse than any modern earthquake.
It was the day that nearly all life on Earth went extinct, including the dinosaurs.

Bracket
2 of 4 teams left. 1 of 2 finals teams left. Rank in my group = 1 of 6. Rank worldwide = 85K out of millions (97 percentile).
Go Spartans!

VMware Workstation 15.0.4
VMware Workstation Player contains an out-of-bounds read/write vulnerability and a Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) vulnerability in the virtual USB UHCI (Universal Host Controller Interface). These issues may allow a guest to execute code on the host.
Download | Release Notes

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

Facebook to Fight Belgian Ban on Tracking Users (and Even Non-Users)
Facebook Inc. is attacking a Belgian court order forcing it to stop tracking local users’ surfing habits, including those of millions who aren’t signed up to the social network. Belgium’s privacy watchdog argues Facebook “still violates the fundamental rights of millions of residents of Belgium.”
Yeah, Belgium and everywhere else.

Airbnb Has a Hidden-Camera Problem
At about 8 or 9 p.m., he went out for dinner; by the time he got home, his hosts had gone to bed in the room adjacent to his, and he prepared to do the same.
That was when he saw the light. Two small, black, rectangular boxes were stacked next to an outlet on the far side of the guest room, both facing the bed. From afar, they looked like phone chargers. But when Vest got closer, he realized they were cameras, and they were recording.
If it was me there would have been an ass-whooping going down that night.

Cool Craft Beer Videos
YouTube – The Craft Beer Channel
Busting myths about lager with We Are Lager festival! #ad | The Craft Beer Channel

Blind taste test: how quickly does beer skunk & oxidise? | The Craft Beer Channel

Beer School: What is Malt? | The Craft Beer Channel

Nvidia Geforce Game Ready WHQL Driver 419.67
Provides the optimal gaming experience for Battlefield V: Firestorm, Anthem, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Download | Release Notes

Software Updates
EMBD 3.39
FinalCrypt 4

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

Take action and stay up-to-date with dynamic email in Gmail
Starting today, we’re making emails more useful and interactive in Gmail. Your emails can stay up to date so you’re always seeing the freshest information, like the latest comment threads and recommended jobs. With dynamic email, you can easily take action directly from within the message itself, like RSVP to an event, fill out a questionnaire, browse a catalog or respond to a comment.
Translation: Just confirming, we are going to continue stick our nose into every little detail in your emails.

The U.S. Pledges A Harder Line In Cyberspace — And Drops Some Hints
Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, who heads both the National Security Agency and the U.S. Cyber Command, usually doesn’t say much in public. But recently, he’s been on what amounts to a public relations blitz. The message he’s pushing is that the U.S. will be more aggressive in confronting and combating rivals in cyberspace.

‘Dark day for internet freedom’: EU lawmakers approve controversial copyright reform
Article 13 or ‘The Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market’ makes all platforms legally responsible for the content hosted and shared on their platforms…The onus will now be on tech companies to clamp down on content-sharing on their platforms, which will likely ensure yet more draconian policing of speech and content.

Europe goes its own way on 5G and Huawei
The European Union says it has developed a strategy to keep its 5G networks secure. It does not include a blanket ban on Huawei equipment.
The United States has been heaping pressure on European countries not to use Huawei equipment in next-generation 5G networks, saying products from the Chinese company present a security risk.

Opinion: How America’s Pastime Became So Slow
In 1948 — when Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and Jackie Robinson were on the field — an average 9-inning game lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes. Today, it takes more than 3 hours.
It’s not just more commercials and on-field promotions. It’s increased analytics.
Pitch clock, no mound visits, 1 step out per at bat…

These are the most annoying slang words Americans use, according to new survey
“GOAT” won the award for the most irksome slang term, with “bae,” “hangry,” “Gucci,” and “ghost” rounding out the top five. Other dishonorable mentions included “stussy,” “TFW,” “totes,” and “clap back.”
I had to look up at least 1/2 a dozen of them.

What Does ‘Born In The U.S.A.’ Really Mean?
If you’re listening closely, the lyrics of “Born in the U.S.A.” make its subject pretty clear: The 1984 hit by Bruce Springsteen describes a Vietnam War veteran who returns home to desperate circumstances and few options. Listen only to its surging refrain, though, and you could mistake it for an uncomplicated celebration of patriotism. You wouldn’t be the only one.
It is not a “patriotic song”, it is about what is or rather what was.

Intel Solid State Drive Toolbox
Version: 3.5.10 (Latest) Date: 3/18/2019
Download & Info

Windows 7 Nagware Update
KB4493132 showed up on my lappy running Windows 7 Ultimate. Apparently it will not show up on Pro and Enterprise editions. Hide it and be done with it. IMHO this issue isn’t a big deal.

Reader Emails (may be edited for brevity or clarity)

Q – You stated earlier that you rip your cds to FLAC. What program do you use for this and what music player do you use to play them on for Windows 10?
A – You won’t believe me…Winamp
edit: Ripping done with dBpoweramp Music Converter

Q – I added the Ultimate Power scheme as directed since my pc has only one power plan listed, the balanced plan. If you would be so gracious to provide it, I am looking for the codes to add the high performance power plan since I don’t really need to go all out ultimate.
A – Try https://winaero.com/blog/restore-default-power-plans-windows-10/

Q – When support ends, are you going to upgrade your Windows 7 computers to Windows 10?
A – I have 6 boxes that run Windows 7 full time. 2 of those boxes dual-boot with Win10 for testing purposes. The 4 boxes that only have Windows 7 will not be upgraded. I will unplug them from the internet before I do that (well, maybe Linux on one). The other 2 (one of which is my laptop) will be upgraded only when the use of Windows 7 on those boxes becomes untenable. When that is remains to be seen.

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

FEMA shared 2.3 million disaster survivors’ personal information with contractor
Millions of hurricane and wildfire survivors are learning that they’re at “increased risk of identity theft and fraud” because the Federal Emergency Management Agency shared their banking and other private information.
The Department of Homeland Security inspector general said Friday that FEMA had unlawfully disclosed the private data of 2.3 million survivors with a federal contractor that was helping them find temporary housing.
The 2.3 million people include survivors of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and the 2017 California wildfires.
The data includes “20 unnecessary data fields” such as electronic funds transfer number, bank transit number, and address.
Question. Has anyone ever heard of any individual, public or private, being held accountable for this stuff?

This Spyware Data Leak Is So Bad We Can’t Even Tell You About It
A consumer spyware vendor left a lot of incredibly sensitive and private data, including intimate pictures and private call recordings, for all to see on a server freely accessible over the internet. And it still hasn’t taken the data down…This story is part of When Spies Come Home, a Motherboard series about powerful surveillance software ordinary people use to spy on their loved ones…The spyware app that’s leaking this data allows its customers to monitor pretty much everything on the cellphone where it’s installed. The spyware lets its operator read the target’s phone contacts, text messages, listen to calls, record ambient sound by turning on the microphone, and much more.
At first I said, “yeah well, karma.” But, the “intimate pictures and private call recordings” are of the people being spied on.

I Deleted Facebook Last Year. Here’s What Changed (and What Didn’t).
Our personal tech columnist didn’t lose touch with his true friends — but strange things did occur, including Instagram thinking he was a woman.
#DeleteFacebook

Firefox 66.0.1
Download (all) | Download 32-bit EN-US | Download 64-bit EN-US | Release Notes

Intel Graphics – Windows 10 DCH Drivers with Intel Graphics Command Center
Windows 10 64-bit only
Download & Info

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

Microsoft Says the FCC ‘Overstates’ Broadband Availability in the US
You can’t fix a problem you don’t understand, and America has no idea just how bad its broadband coverage gaps are.
“We all need to move faster,” Microsoft said at the time. “It took 50 years to electrify the nation. The millions of Americans waiting for broadband don’t have the luxury of time.”
Yup

Tech Experts: What You Post Online Could Be Directly Impacting Your Insurance Coverage
&
Facebook acknowledges concerns over Cambridge Analytica emerged earlier than reported
&
Facebook Stored Millions Of User Passwords In Plain, Readable Text
#DeleteFacebook

Weekend listening: Miranda Lambert – White Liar (Official Music Video)

Google Chrome Updated
“The stable channel has been updated to 73.0.3683.86 for Windows, Mac, and Linux”
Download

AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.3.3 Optional
Download | Release Notes

Nvidia Creator Ready Driver 419.67
Creator Ready Driver releases are timed to key creative application updates, ensuring the best compatibility and performance for those who depend on PCs for their creative work.
Download (choose Download Type: Creator Ready Driver) | Release Notes

Goodbye HardOCP – Hello Intel
We have some big changes happening here at HardOCP. Kyle Bennett will be taking on new challenges very soon with Intel working as its Director of Enthusiast Engagement.
Stunning but not surprising. Although he says “financial motivations” were not behind it, it had to be a factor. [H] is the granddaddy of enthusiasts sites, most of which have changed hands or gone by the wayside. Computing has changed and sites like his (and mine) are not as popular or as profitable as they once were. Best of luck to you Kyle and thanks for all you’ve done for the enthusiast community.

My Bracket

BleachBit 2.2
Home | Download for Windows (I use portable) | Changes

Intel Graphics Driver for Windows
Version: 15.40.42.5063 Date: 3/19/2019
This release contains security fixes.
Supports Intel(R) Iris(R) graphics, Intel(R) Iris(R) Pro graphics and Intel(R) HD graphics on:
4th Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) Processor Platform (codename Haswell)
5th Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) Processor Platform (codename Broadwell)
Braswell Processor Family
CherryTrail Processor Family
Download & Info
This will not install on my laptop: “This computer does not meet the minimum requirements for installing the software.”
Except, it does.

Software Releases
Tails 3.13
Tor Browser 8.0.7

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

Windows 7 SP1 support notification
After 10 years of servicing, January 14, 2020, is the last day Microsoft will offer security updates for computers running Windows 7 SP1. This update enables reminders about Windows 7 end of support.
This is the nagware I mentioned last week. Apparently KB4493132 will show up soon. Some reports indicate it is released but I’ve got several Windows 7 boxes and it hasn’t appeared. Anyway, when it does appear in Windows Update > Right-click > Hide update .

Social Media Giants Duck for Cover as Washington Gets ‘Fed Up’
“There is a sea change politically on Capitol Hill,” said Jonathan Tepper, the author of the “The Myth of Capitalism: Monopolies and the Death of Competition.” “The left and right are completely fed up.”

Google bans VPN ads in China
“It is currently Google Ads policy to disallow promoting VPN services in China, due to local legal restrictions,” Google said in an email today.
Google, define kowtow
kow·tow /ˌkouˈtou/
verb
1.
act in an excessively subservient manner.
“she didn’t have to kowtow to a boss”
synonyms: grovel, behave obsequiously, be obsequious, be servile, be sycophantic, fawn on, bow and scrape, toady, truckle, abase oneself, humble oneself, prostrate oneself; More
curry favor with, flatter, court, woo, dance attendance on, make up to, play up to, ingratiate oneself with;
crawl, creep, suck up to, brown-nose, butter up, be all over, fall all over, lick someone’s boots;
2.
historical
kneel and touch the ground with the forehead in worship or submission as part of Chinese custom.
synonyms: prostrate oneself, bow, bow down before, genuflect, do/make obeisance, fall on one’s knees before, get down on one’s knees before, kneel before;
salaam, throw oneself at someone’s feet, fall down before someone, curtsy, bow and scrape;
pay homage, show reverence, show deference, humble oneself before someone, worship
“they kowtow to her in awe and reverence”

Stranger Things: Season 3 | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix

Windows 10 Updated
All supported versions of Win10 updated except 1809. 20 some odd “Addresses an issue” and a few other fixes.
1803 – March 19, 2019—KB4489894 (OS Build 17134.677)
1709 – 1709 – March 19, 2019—KB4489890 (OS Build 16299.1059)
1703 – March 19, 2019—KB4489888 (OS Build 15063.1716)

Firefox 66
Download (all) | Download 32-bit EN-US | Download 64-bit EN-US | Release Notes

If You Thought College Admission Scandal Was Bad, This Woman’s Post About Rich People Buying Her Writing Services Will Show It’s Worse
Writer Jaimie Leigh has done us all a service recently, by penning an eye-opening piece that further exposes the festering injustice that runs deep through American society. The post, which has already been shared over 30k times, details her experience working for wealthy clients, writing papers and doctoring resumes to ensure that lazy, entitled rich kids get the right ‘personal brand’ for Ivy league universities. Because once you have the right credentials, parentage and connections, your actual talents and work ethic cease to matter.