This week’s edition of WIG is filled with news link coverage on topics such as Android’s ‘Google Now’ services are headed for Chrome, Microsoft is ready to push Hotmail users to Outlook.com, a 25 GPU setup devours password hashes at up to 348 billion per second, and more.

Weekly News Links

• RIP: Free Google Apps for Business
  Google has announced that one of its cloud-based services, Apps for Business, will no longer offer a free tier. The Mountain View, Calif.-based search leader now asks customers to pay a yearly fee for the service, which includes Google’s popular Gmail, Drive, Docs, and Calendar specially designed for private enterprise deployment.
• Australis (for Linux) to land “after Firefox 20″
  Days ago, Mozilla’s Paul Rouget stated that “We’re actively working on the Australis theme for Windows, a new Download panel, a network installer, and a new way to customize Firefox’ toolbars.” More…
• Mozilla demos WebRTC-based Social API in Firefox
  Mozilla has presented a demonstration of what it hopes to achieve with future social features in Firefox that make use of the new WebRTC capabilities in the browser. The Social API and its sidebar interface were integrated into Firefox 17 and the latest beta version of the browser adds WebRTC functionality which gives the browser the ability to transmit voice, video and data. Blog post contains an embedded video of the WebRTC Demo.
• Android’s Google Now services headed for Chrome, too
  The all-purpose alert system isn’t just for Android. Google is building Google Now into Chrome as well, taking advantage of its notifications system.
• Windows 7 PCs to Stay on Sale Until October 2014
  Although Microsoft still struggles to convince everyone that Windows 8 is worth a shot, Windows 7 continues to remain the top choice for most new PC buyers in the world.
• More Online Results Heading to Ubuntu Dash in 13.04
  More online integration is coming to Ubuntu in its next release, Canonical have announced. Ubuntu 13.04 will ‘fulfil’ the goal of the Unity Dash to be a one-stop global search tool. It will include more ‘Scopes’, a new relevancy ranking system, and a wider range of commercial product suggestions.
• Creative developer releases updated interesting LibreOffice UI mockup
  It seems that various users are expressing demands for a visual LibreOffice refresh, an approach that seems to be in the LibreOffice developers’ area-of-interest via concepts/mockups/ideas like Citrus, etc, yet, until now, there hasn’t been significant LibreOffice UI changes.
• Download Google Earth 7 With Fixed “Signal 11″ Issue For Ubuntu
  One of the Google Earth developers has emailed fixed Google Earth builds (pre-release) to some Linux users who have commented about this issue on the Google Earth forums, and it seems a fixed build will be available soon (the exact date is not known) on the Google Earth download page. If you don’t want to wait, you can download these fixed Google Earth 7.0.1 builds (deb) for Ubuntu / Linux Mint / Debian from this blog post.
• Steam for Linux Beta Opens Up for Yet More Users
  More users now been given access to the limited Steam for Linux beta, Valve have confirmed. Announcing the expansion of beta access on the Steam for Linux forum, Valve’s Frank Crockett urged those who have applied previously to check their inbox for a redemption code.
• Steam for Linux Will Get Eight Amazing New Games
  The Steam Greenlight program initiated by Valve has just cleared eight great games that will arrive on Linux, along with the other platforms.
• Google graduates 3 Labs projects to Gmail
  This past week Google unveiled the three lucky projects via its Gmail Google+ page. They include: Send and Archive, Default reply to all, & Quote selected text.
• Dropbox plans Windows 8 touch support
  The file-sharing service is adapting its software to the live tiles and touch actions of Windows 8′s new interface.
• Secret SkyDrive Code Hints at Microsoft Web-Based Music Player
  A cloud music player project for SkyDrive was started approximately one and a half years ago, but Microsoft seems to have made some real progress with its new web-based player.
• Microsoft Is Getting Ready to Push Hotmail Users to Outlook.com
  Outlook.com was officially released earlier this year but, starting this week, Microsoft will begin to encourage existing Hotmail users to make the move to its revamped email service.
• Microsoft Rolls Out Color Themes and Archive Option for Outlook.com
  Redmond-based technology company Microsoft has started rolling out Outlook.com service updates, including an archive option and new color themes.
• Microsoft pulls the plug on its Silverlight.Net site
  Microsoft has closed its central resource site for Silverlight and broken many URLs in the process. Fixes may be coming, but no word when.
• Java 6 allowed to live just a little longer
  Oracle has extended the support for version 6 of the Java Standard Edition (Java SE) yet again, so that now the end of public updates for it is scheduled for February 2013. There should be a last update release of Oracle’s JDK 6 at the start of February 2013. Then, after 19 February, the updates will stop and there will be no more public releases of security updates, patches or fixes for Java SE 6.
• New PlayStation PSN Web Store blocks Linux computers
  Sony again snubs Linux users with a PS3 by refusing access to the new SEN Web Store, with a generic error message giving no rhyme or reason.
• Instagram, Twitter lob grenades in war over value of photos
  If a picture’s worth a thousand words, then control over the picture has never been more crucial in Silicon Valley.
• Microsoft’s DroidRage Twitter campaign goes painfully wrong
  Someone in Microsoft public relations seem to think that encouraging Android FUD on Twitter would be a great way to win friends and influence others. Wrong!

Security News

Image courtesy of Jeremi Gosney / Passwords^12 (This is also a direct link to the PDF file report.).

• 25 GPUs devour password hashes at up to 348 billion per second
  Five 4U servers equipped with 25 AMD Radeon-powered GPUs linked together using an Infiniband switched fabric link can crunch through up to 348 billion password hashes per second.
• Oh great: New attack makes some password cracking faster, easier than ever
  A researcher has devised a method that reduces the time and resources required to crack passwords that are protected by the SHA1 cryptographic algorithm.
• Fast cracking of MySQL passwords demonstrated
  A hacker by the name of Kingcope has found another security problem with the popular MySQL database. Using an already well-known characteristic of the database’s user management, it is possible to significantly increase the speed of a brute force attack.
• Vulnerabilities threaten to crash MySQL databases
  Vulnerabilities that could bring down online databases all over the internet were discovered during this past weekend, prompting developers to scramble to respond.
• How script kiddies can hijack your browser to steal your passwor
  Be careful what you type on your computer while surfing the Web. It very well could be funneled to a script kiddie who has appropriated a handful of lines of code and inserted it into his site.
• Windows AutoRun Virus Hits Windows 7 and Windows 8 Users
  A new form of malware is trying to exploit a four-year-old Windows AutoRun bug on unpatched Windows workstations, including Windows 7 and the new Windows 8 operating system.
• Fake Windows 8 Serial Numbers Spamming YouTube
  Fake Windows 8 key generators and serial numbers are already out there in the wild trying to spread malware, but such pieces of software have also reached the utterly popular video-sharing service YouTube.
• 14-Character Windows XP Passwords Hacked in Just 6 Minutes
  Encryption methods and security technologies are clearly evolving at a pretty fast pace, but together with these, hackers are rolling out a new wave of attacks and exploits whose purpose is to break into every single system out there.
• New Mac malware uses OS X launch services
  A new malware for OS X also acts as a reminder to monitor the launch services in OS X as a security precaution.
• ATM Thieves Swap Security Camera for Keyboard
  Every so often thieves think up an innovation that makes all of the current ATM skimmers look like child’s play. Case in point: Authorities in Brazil have arrested a man who allegedly stole more than USD $41,000 from an ATM after swapping its security camera with a portable keyboard that let him hack the cash machine.
• Sophisticated botnet steals more than $47M by infecting PCs and phones
  A new version of the Zeus trojan—a longtime favorite of criminals conducting online financial fraud—has been used in attacks on over 30,000 electronic banking customers in Europe, infecting both their personal computers and smartphones. The sophisticated attack is designed to circumvent banks’ use of two-factor authentication for transactions by intercepting messages sent by the bank to victims’ mobile phones.
• Massive worm hits Tumblr, spams big blogs like USA Today
  Hacker group GNAA claims responsibility for the attack and says 8,600 unique Tumblr users were affected — but by midmorning, Tumblr said it had resolved the issue.
• Online marketer tapped browser flaw to see if visitors were pregnant
  An advertising network that served banners on cnn.com, orbitz.com, and 45,000 other sites has settled federal charges that it illegally exploited a decade-old browser flaw that leaks the history of websites users visit.
• How online scammers made millions selling non-existent cars, motor homes
  You’re not really going to get a 2010 Lexus GX 460 for $10,000.
• Windows Is No Longer Cybercriminals’ Number One Target – Sophos
  Windows has always been regarded as one of the most attacked operating systems in the world, but the trend is slowly changing, security company Sophos revealed in its Security Threat Report 2013.
• One in five employees use Dropbox for work documents: report
  Dear chief information officers, around one in five of your employees use Dropbox to store work-related documents in the cloud, according to research. And as you well know, this is not good.
• Fix for hotels’ electronic door lock hack slow to roll out
  Electronic lock manufacturer Onity has finally agreed to reimburse its customers—major hotel chains like Marriott, Hyatt, and InterContinental (IHG)—for some of the costs of replacing its hackable locks.
• Lost+Found: Cyber weapons manufacturers, ASLR, PowerShell and the Dalai Lama
  Too short for news, too good to lose; Lost+Found is a roundup of useful and interesting security news. In this edition: General Dynamics is looking for exploit authors, picky malware, Microsoft improves ASLR in Windows 8, hooking the CryptProtectData() function, Mac malware targeted at the Dalai Lama, and a support backdoor becomes a real problem.
• No warrant, no problem: How the government can still get your digital dat
  The US government isn’t allowed to wiretap American citizens without a warrant from a judge. But there are plenty of legal ways for law enforcement, from the local sheriff to the FBI, to snoop on the digital trails you create every day.
• The U.N. and the Internet: What to expect, what to fear (FAQ)
  The U.S., Canada, and European allies are squaring off against Russia and China at a U.N. Internet summit. At stake: the future of how the Internet will be run.

TinyHacker Links

• How Good is Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2013 at Securing Your PC?
  Trend Micro has launched their 2013 edition of security products which is compatible with Windows 8. Are there any improvements versus the 2012 edition? Do they perform well? Find out in this detailed review.
• What Is Ransomware and How to Avoid It
  We are hearing more and more via online and by word of mouth that Ransomware, the practice of holding your infected PC hostage until a fee is paid, is increasing to epidemic proportions. Read this New York Times article describing the practice and steps you can take to insure that you do not fall victim.
• Ski Safari – The Best Mobile Game of 2012
  Free for a limited time but well worth the usual .99, Ski Safari is one of those games that just grabs your attention, much like last year’s Jetpack Joyride. Ski down four different mountains, jumping, grinding, surfing through hills, tunnels and clouds. Ride a snow machine, a penguin or even a Yeti.
• Here Comes Santa Claus
  Courtesy of NORAD, here’s the link for the little ones to track Santa. Apps available for iOS, Windows 8, Google Play and Windows Phone.
• Logos with Hidden Symbolism
  Check out this list of some very interesting logos.

How-To Geek Weekly Article Recap

• How To Boot Your Android Phone or Tablet Into Safe Mode
• Desktop Fun: Winter 2012 Wallpaper Collection [Bonus Size]
• Should I Adjust the Volume by Software or Hardware for Optimum Sound?
• How to Factory Reset Your Android Phone or Tablet When It Won’t Boot
• The Best How-To Geek Articles About Microsoft Office
• Is CPU Performance Affected by Age?
• Use a Free Utility to Create Multiple Virtual Desktops in Windows
• How To Watch Netflix On Ubuntu with the Netflix Desktop App
• How to Use a PIN Instead of a Password in Windows 8
• The Best How-To Geek Articles for November 2012

Geeky Goodness from the ETC Side

• The Laptop Guaranteed to Kill Your Professional Image [Humorous Photo]
• Banned Children’s Toys from Christmases Past
• A Definite Case of Mobile Phone Addiction [Comic]
• DIY Touch Screen Mod Makes Regular Gloves Smartphone-friendly
• Disc Drives: An Endangered Species
• Talk About OEM Vender Crapware Overkill! [Humorous Image]
• The Not-So-Smartphone Cycle [Comic]
• The ‘Coolest’ Server You will Ever See [Video]
• Cities from Space: A Tour of Urban Planning Patterns
• Android Evolution Marches On [Wallpaper]

One Year Ago on How-To Geek

• The How-To Geek Guide to Scoring Free Wi-Fi
• From the Tips Box: Ethernet Cheat Sheets, Wi-Fi Cantennas, and Easy Holiday Package Tracking
• How to Use Multiple Profiles in Google Chrome Like a Ninja
• How to Optimize Google Chrome for Maximum Privacy
• How to Put the New New Twitter Content Pane Back on the Left
• From The Tips Box: Stream Music via Google Docs

How-To Geek Comics Weekly Roundup

• She Understood the Context Only too Well
• Frequent Breaks are Preferred
• Sudden Inspiration
• An Unexpected Surprise
• Social Media Reading Trends

How-To Geek Weekly Trivia Roundup

• What Gas Has The Opposite Effect Of Helium On Your Voice?
• Which Planet’s Craters Are Named After Artists?
• Which Game Company Gave Away Sport Gloves As Part Of A Legal Settlement?
• What Brand Of Cigarettes Did The X-Files’ Smoking Man Smoke?
• NASA Modeled The Apollo Re-entry Modules After What Naturally Occurring Shape?
• Whose Intervention Ensured Star Trek Saw The Light Of Day?
• What Did The First Web Cam Monitor?