Our last edition of WIG for 2012 is filled with news link coverage on topics such as nightly builds of Firefox 64-bit will continue to be available, Joliprint will be shutting down the first week of January, YouTube has stripped Universal and Sony of 2 billion fake views, and more.

Weekly News Links

• A bit more info on Windows Blue?
  Even though Windows 8 has only been on the market for a short time we already know Microsoft is hard at work on the next version of the OS. The project is codenamed “Windows Blue” and is expected to launch next summer bringing improvements and new features to Windows 8 as well as debuting a new yearly update cycle for Microsoft’s OS.
• Windows Bug Unexpectedly Mutes Surface RT Sound – Microsoft
  Plenty of users have already reported a bug that causes the sound to be unexpectedly muted when using the Touch Cover on a Surface RT, with Microsoft always saying that it’s investigating the issue.
• Microsoft Admits It Hasn’t Fixed the Surface WiFi Bug
  Even though Microsoft has previously said that it fixed the Surface RT WiFi connectivity issues with the latest Patch Tuesday updates, plenty of users have still experienced the bug in the last couple of days.
• Mozilla backpedals on Firefox 64-bit for Windows, will keep nightly builds coming after all
  Last month, Mozilla Engineering Manager Benjamin Smedberg quietly announced that the 64-bit version of Firefox for Windows would never see the light of day. After what he referred to as “significant negative feedback,” Smedberg has announced he has reviewed that feedback, consulted with his release engineering team, and has decided on a modification to the original plan: Firefox 64-bit for Windows may still never be released, but nightly builds will live another day.
• KDE display management to get a boost with kscreen
  Two developers from Red Hat and Blue Systems are collaborating on improving display management in the KDE desktop.
• Enlightenment 0.17 (E17) Linux desktop is ready
  After twelve years of development, the Enlightenment project has released the first official version of the Enlightenment 0.17 desktop interface.
• 10 Raspberry Pi creations that show how amazing the tiny PC can be
  The Raspberry Pi, the $35 credit card-sized computer, has lived an interesting life despite being less than a year old. It has been used to teach programming and host servers, but above all it has provided a near-perfect platform for some of the most fun and interesting hobbyist projects in the computing world.
• Google extends free calling through Gmail
  The company says people can make free calls in the U.S. and Canada through Gmail’s Chat function — using the calling plugin — throughout the New Year.
• YouTube strips Universal and Sony of 2 billion fake views
  Google slashed the cumulative view counts on YouTube channels belonging to Universal Music Group, Sony/BMG, and RCA Records by more than 2 billion views this past Tuesday, a drastic winter cleanup that may be aimed at shutting down black hat view count-building techniques employed by a community of rogue view count manipulators on the video-sharing site.
• Joliprint is shutting down
  From the blog post: We launched Joliprint almost three years ago, with the goal to improve the web printing experience. We met a great success, with nearly 30,000 pdfs generated per day today, but unfortunately we were not able to find the right business model for Joliprint, whether B2C or B2B. We’re sorry to announce that Joliprint will be stopped on January 04, 2013.

Security News

• Attackers Target Internet Explorer Zero-Day Flaw
  Attackers are breaking into Microsoft Windows computers using a newly discovered vulnerability in Internet Explorer, security experts warn. While the flaw appears to have been used mainly in targeted attacks so far, this vulnerability could become more widely exploited if incorporated into commercial crimeware kits sold in the underground.
• How Anybody Can Secretly Save Your Snapchat Videos Forever
  The videos you send through Snapchat and Poke are supposed to disappear in 10 seconds or less. Except a security flaw makes it easy to save them forever — without the sender ever knowing.
• Prevent Facebook from automatically importing photos
  A new Facebook feature lets you sync photos with iPhones, Androids, and iPads automatically via Wi-Fi or the cell network, but if you inadvertently opt in to the service or do so and later change your mind, it’s easy to opt out of automatic Facebook photo syncs.
• Chrome prepares to ax silent extensions
  A coming version of Google Chrome on Windows is going to prevent extensions that don’t come from the official Chrome store from quietly installing without your say-so.
• Did Microsoft Improve Security in 2012?
  Microsoft had a lower patch count and fewer vulnerabilities this year, but there were still a few interesting security flaws.
• Where OS X security stands after a volatile 2012
  2012 was an “exciting” year for OS X security—at least if you’re a security expert or researcher. There were plenty of events to keep people on their toes. Although Apple took some egg on the face for some of them, overall, the company came out ahead when it came down to keeping users safe.
• Oracle Updates Java 7 Security, but Is It Enough?
  Oracle has issued an update for Java that aims to improve security in the often attacked plugin. The Oracle Java Development Kit 7 Update 10 (JDK 7u10) release provides new updating and control capabilities that go beyond what Java users have enjoyed in the past.
• Revealed: NSA targeting domestic computer systems in secret test
  The National Security Agency’s Perfect Citizen program hunts for vulnerabilities in “large-scale” utilities, including power grid and gas pipeline controllers, new documents from EPIC show.
• Exploring the Market for Stolen Passwords
  Not long ago, PCs compromised by malware were put to a limited number of fraudulent uses, including spam, click fraud and denial-of-service attacks. These days, computer crooks are extracting and selling a much broader array of data stolen from hacked systems, including passwords and associated email credentials tied to a variety of online retailers.
• Lost+Found: Macro viruses are back, tapjacking and hashing with cats
  Too short for news, too good to lose; Lost+Found is a roundup of useful and interesting security news. In this edition: The return of macro viruses, malicious apps in store, malicious modules in Apache servers, tapjacking, cracking encrypted drives through firewire, btrfs and hashing with cats.

TinyHacker Links

• How to Fetch Files From Any of Your Computers with SkyDrive
  SkyDrive can be set to give you remote access to all the files found on your computers where the application is installed. This feature is handy in many situations.
• Quickly Share Files From Windows
  This is a tiny yet useful Windows utility to share files.
• ZoneAlarm Internet Security 2013 Reviewed
  Did you know that Check Point recently released a new version of ZoneAlarm security products? Are they any good? Do they offer a good level of protection? Find out from this detailed review.
• Acer Iconia W510 – Is it a Worthy Alternative to Surface RT?
  Learn the answer to this question and more from this detailed review.
• Should Microsoft Develope Even More Surface Branded Devices?
  An interesting perspective from Paul Thurrott. Definitely worth reading.
• How many of your Twitter followers are real?
  Find out by using this free tool.

How-To Geek Weekly Article Recap

• HTG Explains: Does Plain Black Wallpaper Save Battery on Mobile Devices?
• Desktop Fun: New Year’s 2013 Wallpaper Collection [Bonus Edition]
• Hardware Upgrade: Why Windows Can’t See All Your RAM
• The Best Free Dictionary and Thesaurus Programs and Websites
• How to Clear Your Computer’s CMOS to Reset BIOS Settings
• Giveaway: 50 Free Space Invaders T-Shirts for How-To Geek Soluto Users
• How Can I Disable or Reassign the Windows Key?
• Is There a Windows 8 Equivalent for Recent Items/Documents?
• How to Use Windows 7′s Backup Tools in Windows 8
• How to Delete Files Older than X Days on Windows

Geeky Goodness from the ETC Side

• A Map of the Internet
• The TARDIS Hard-Drive [Humorous Image]
• Ten Tips for New Raspberry Pi Owners
• The Top 10 Photoshop Disasters of 2012
• An Illustrated Evolution of Batman’s Logo 1940 – 2012
• 1DollarScan Digitizes Your Old Books and Magazines for You
• The Ultimate Password Creation Challenge [Humorous Image]
• Flame Throwing at 2500 FPS [Video]
• Star Trek Character Names and Roles Chart
• Peaceful Sunset in a Futuristic City [Wallpaper]

One Year Ago on How-To Geek

• How to Change the Icons on Compressed .EXE Files without Getting Errors
• How to Create a Bootable Offline Version of Windows Defender
• How to Dual Boot Windows 8 and Linux Mint on the Same PC
• How to Tweak Unity on Ubuntu With the CompizConfig Settings Manager
• How to Schedule Tasks on Linux: An Introduction to Crontab Files
• How to Benchmark Your OS X Mac or Hackintosh PC

How-To Geek Comics Weekly Roundup

• Spy Flies
• Santa Got Bought Out
• No Free Trial Periods
• Coming Full Circle
• Awkward Star Wars Questions

How-To Geek Weekly Trivia Roundup

• Which Common Christmas Decoration Is Actually A Parasite?
• Which Film Does George Lucas Wish To Smash With A Sledgehammer?
• Who Was The First To Celebrate Christmas In Space?
• What Were Hollywood Set Designers Employed to Camouflage In The 1940s?
• Pokemon Was Inspired By What From The Creator’s Childhood?
• The First Successful Remote Computer Connection Linked What Together?
• What Was The World’s First Code-Breaking Computer?