Our last edition of WIG for May is filled with news link goodness covering topics such as a smartphone hijacking vulnerability affects AT&T and 47 other carriers, a possible problem with Windows 8 booting too quickly, half of PC users are pirates according to a study, and more.

Weekly News Links

Chart courtesy of StatCounter.

• Chrome passes IE in browser share
  Chrome has passed Internet Explorer in browser share according to StatCounter’s latest numbers and Firefox’s recent downward trend appears to be over.
• Mozilla launches Webmaker programme
  Mozilla has announced the launch of a new programme called Webmaker that is designed to encourage users around the world to learn about and use “the open building blocks of the web”.
• Microsoft gives Flash a reprieve in IE10
  Adobe’s plug-in will be built directly into Windows 8′s browser, optimized for touch, security, and power efficiency, a source says. But it’s only a temporary move.
• Yahoo fumbles security in Axis browser launch
  Troubled Internet pioneer forgets to publish terms of service for its new browser and also leaves the door open to an apparent vulnerability.
• Facebook in talks to buy browser company Opera, says report
  Acquisition rumor suggests that the social-networking company might launch its own browser.
• Is it a problem if Windows 8 boots too quickly?
  Microsoft’s forthcoming operating system boots so quickly that you will miss those familiar prompts.
• Google completes Motorola Mobility acquisition
  Google has announced it has completed its acquisition of Motorola Mobility. The company began the acquisition process in August 2011, paying $12.5 billion for the mobile phone and tablet maker; with over 17,000 wireless related patents and 7,500 pending patents, Google’s acquisition is widely believed to be about that patent portfolio.
• Windows Phone users must update to 7.5 or else…
  Any user who wants to access Windows Phone Marketplace has to upgrade their phone to 7.5 or risk “seeing an error message when you try to download a new app.”
• Apple reaffirms fight against e-book antitrust case
  In a new court filing, Apple slams the Department of Justice’s case against it point by point, saying it’s “fundamentally flawed.”
• Facebook Camera app really, really wants to know your location
  Facebook’s slick new camera app goes on strike if you don’t give it access to your location. Here’s why.
• Vote likely on Facebook privacy policy changes
  More than 47,000 comments in English and German on Facebook’s proposed privacy policy changes is way more than needed to trigger a required vote by users.
• Half Of PC Users Are Pirates, Says Study
  Over half of PC users worldwide have admitted to using pirate software last year, according to a study by the trade group Business Software Alliance (BSA).
• Anatomy of a hack: 6 separate bugs needed to bring down Google browse
  An exploit that fetched a teenage hacker a $60,000 bounty targeted six different security bugs to break out of the security sandbox fortifying Google’s Chrome browser.
• Mac users’ indifference toward security ‘worrying’
  In light of the recent spate of malware attacking Apple’s Mac OS, consumers remain oblivious to the threat and consider the operating system “impenetrable”. This, in turn, has security observers worrying that such mindsets will invite more attacks on the platform.
• Malware increases on all platforms, McAfee says
  First-quarter threat report finds PC malware at the highest levels in four years, and increases on the Android platform and Mac.
• Google will alert users to DNSChanger malware infection
  Google is using a clever Domain Name System hack to let people infected with the DNSChanger malware know that they have only a few weeks left before their Internet connection goes dead.
• Google alert claims users’ Internet may shut down July 9
  Google is spreading information about the DNSChanger malware, but for some the warnings may persist even after removing the malware.
• Smartphone hijacking vulnerability affects AT&T, 47 other carriers
  Computer scientists have identified a vulnerability in the network of AT&T and at least 47 other cellular carriers that allows attackers to surreptitiously hijack the Internet connections of smartphone users and inject malicious content into the traffic passing between them and trusted websites.
• Hackers use fake Facebook cancellation emails to deploy malware
  A new type of phishing strategy, which aims to trick unsuspecting users into installing a trojan by pretending to be an account cancellation request from Facebook, has been discovered by Sophos.
• Adware Stages Comeback Via Browser Extensions
  The Wikimedia Foundation last week warned that readers who are seeing ads on Wikipedia articles are likely using a Web browser that has been infected with malware. The warning points to an apparent resurgence in adware and spyware that is being delivered via cleverly disguised browser extensions designed to run across multiple Web browsers and operating systems.

Random TinyHacker Links

• Huge Giveaway Sponsored by Trend Micro
  The folks at 7 Tutorials are celebrating reaching 1000 fans on Facebook. Together with Trend Micro they are giving away 25 licenses of Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2012, valid for one year. The deadline for entering the contest is June 3rd, 2012
• No Aero in Windows 8
  The shiny Aero effect will no longer be a part of Windows 8.
• Cool Tips and Tricks About the Games Folder in Windows 7
  If you want to learn more about the Games folder/panel in Windows, how it works and a few tricks to solve some common problems, check these tutorials.
• Get a Cleaner Google Reader
  This Chrome extension removes clutter from your Google Reader interface and provides a better reading experience.
• Browse Privately On Android
  This article shows you two ways to browse privately on Android.
• Converting YouTube Videos on Android to Audio
  An easy way to convert YouTube videos on Android to MP3.
• The Highest Rated Apps for Windows Phone
  Interesting list with some very unexpected entries.
• Get a Pinterest like Dashboard for Instagram Photos
  This is a cool web based service that fetches your Instagram photos and displays them in a Pinterest kind of dashboard.
• When a Country Defaults
  An infographic detailing what happens when a country defaults.
• An Interesting Way to Track Your Favorite Stock
  This is a creative method to create your own stock watcher widget on Windows and make it stay on top of other windows.

Super User Questions

• What do I need to do to install Windows onto my new SSD?
• Why is Windows “stuck” on the Welcome screen for so long?
• Where do I get a generic driver for a USB flash drive for MS Windows XP?
• What are these strange icons in ‘My Computer’?
• How do I make it so that all executables can run as administrator?
• How do I restore the default Windows 7 “Desktop” folder?
• Chrome Extension to record web pages
• Does a scratched DVD result in lost data, and how do I fix a scratched DVD?
• Why does the fan spin up to high speed momentarily when the computer is starting?
• What is the name of this cable that goes into a modem?

How-To Geek Weekly Article Recap

• 47 Keyboard Shortcuts That Work in All Web Browsers
• 5 Cool Things You Can Do With an SSH Server
• Desktop Fun: Starry Skies Wallpaper Collection Series 2
• The Best Tips and Tricks for Using Email Efficiently
• How to Install Android Apps to the SD Card by Default & Move Almost Any App to the SD Card
• Ask HTG: Using a Laptop in the Sun, Resizing Windows Partitions, and Downloading YouTube Videos
• How To Customize Your Wallpaper with Google Image Searches, RSS Feeds, and More
• An Introduction to Charms in Windows 8: What They Are & How to Use Them
• Ask the Readers: How Do You Snag and Store Articles for Later Reading?
• Improve a Lackluster Photo by Selectively Softening the Background

Geeky Goodness from the ETC Side

• Spoiler: Dealing with the Aftermath of the Zombie Apocalypse [Video]
• When Google Knows what You have Really Been up to While Browsing [Humorous Image]
• If You Were Able to Use Photoshop in Real Life [Humorous Image Collage]
• Waves Crashing Against the Rocks [Wallpaper]
• Hack Solar Lights with Dual LEDs to Increase Run Time
• Two Giant Tesla Coils Play Back in Black [Video]
• bootlegMIC Is a Tiny But High Quality DIY Microphone
• Bio Computer Uses Waste Heat to Accelerate Plant Growth
• How a Smartphone Knows Up from Down [Video]
• Seeing the Digital Future: An AT&T Look at the Future from 1961

One Year Ago on How-To Geek

• How To Repair Scratched and Damaged Photographs or Scans
• 50+ Tools & Techniques to Remove Image Backgrounds in Photoshop, pt 2
• 50+ Tools & Techniques to Remove Image Backgrounds in Photoshop, pt 3
• Improve Your Photography by Learning the Elements of Exposure
• HTG Explains: Cameras, Lenses, and How Photography Works

How-To Geek Comics Weekly Roundup

• A Case of Stockholm Syndrome
• Very Responsive Web Design
• How His Content is Protected
• The Publicity Would be Good, But…
• His Website Definitely has a Problem
• Old-School Chat Room
• Trial by Jury

How-To Geek Weekly Trivia Roundup

• Which Amusement Park Almost Built A Massive Myst-Themed Adventure?
• The Clones from Star Wars Episode II Were Almost Modeled After Which Actor?
• Which Failed 1990s Product Foreshadowed QR-Code Based Advertising?
• Which Sci-Fi Actor’s Ashes Were Launched Into Space Multiple Times?
• A 1980s Urban Legend Claimed CD Sound Improved By Coating The Edges With What?
• What Popular GPS-Driven Activity Centers Around Hidden Containers?
• Which Spacecraft Will Soon Be The First To Leave Our Solar System?