This week we learned how to break down the anatomy of a phishing email, “understand data latency problems with gaming, use a laptop screen as a second monitor, & ID your computer’s components”, convert a hard drive or flash drive from FAT32 to NTFS format, understand the science behind cooking with Cooking for Geeks, had fun customizing our desktops with a weather customization set, and more.

Photo by Pedro Vezini.

Weekly News Links

• Microsoft’s raw deal for Vista users: IE10 for Windows 7 only
  One of the minor “features” Microsoft included in the Internet Explorer 10 Platform Preview released this past week was reduced operating system support; it will only install on Windows 7, leaving Windows XP and Windows Vista users out in the cold.
• Mozilla eyes changes ‘to keep our users safe’
  Mozilla is reviewing a final draft of its baseline policies to address problems in the way that Internet certificates are issued. Mozilla consultant Kathleen Wilson said that from June 30, Mozilla software will refuse certificates signed with the troubled MD5 hash algorithm for intermediate and end-entity CAs, and “will take this action earlier and at its sole discretion if necessary to keep our users safe.”
• Adobe releases security update for Flash Player
  Adobe has released its update for Flash Player to close the critical security issue that emerged last Monday. The company had warned of zero day vulnerability which was already being exploited in web pages and Word and Excel documents.
• U.S. shutters botnet, can disable malware remotely
  By seizing servers and domain names and getting permission to remotely turn off malware on compromised PCs, U.S. officials have disabled a botnet that steals data from infected computers.
• Security firm Barracuda hit by cyberattack
  Security company Barracuda Networks was itself hit by a security breach this past weekend that exposed certain information from its databases.
• Break-in at WordPress.com
  WordPress.com ‘s Matt Mullenweg has confirmed that attackers broke into its systems, gained root level privileges and that “potentially anything on those servers could have been revealed”.
• Security issue found in Dropbox client
  Security expert Derek Newton considers using the popular Dropbox online service to be a security risk. When examining the Windows client, Newton discovered a serious security hole in the service’s handling of the Dropbox account access data.
• Ransomware claims to lock Windows licence
  In what appears to be a lucrative scam, after infecting a system, ransomware blocks users from accessing their system and demands payment of a ransom to restore access. A recent variation on this theme claims to lock the Windows licence.
• Avast update blocks legitimate Web sites
  An update rolled out this past Monday to Avast’s antivirus product contained a bug that flags legitimate Web sites as malware infected.
• Companies fear cybercrime more than insider threats
  External attacks from cybercriminals will soon pose a greater risk to the corporate world than insider threats, according to the results of a Cyber-Ark survey released this past week.
• Expert: Generic defense not good enough for APTs
  Most enterprises today have in place only generic security solutions, without real consideration for attacks such as advanced persistent threats (APT), according to a Symantec executive.
• Latest PowerPoint security patch has problems
  The patch for PowerPoint 2003 can have negative consequences – after installation existing presentations may be unable to be opened or may cause an error message stating that the file is corrupted and cannot be fully displayed.
• Toshiba to launch self-erasing hard drives
  Toshiba will soon debut a series of hard drives that can automatically erase or prevent access to their own data should the drives end up in the wrong hands.
• Privacy ‘bill of rights’ exempts government agencies
  Two U.S. senators have introduced sweeping privacy legislation that they promise will “establish a framework to protect the personal information of all Americans.” There is, however, one feature of the bill that has gone relatively unnoticed: it doesn’t apply to data mining, surveillance, or any other forms of activities that governments use to collect and collate Americans’ personal information.
• Obama moves forward with Internet ID plan
  The Obama administration said that it’s moving ahead with a plan for broad adoption of Internet IDs despite concerns about identity centralization, and hopes to fund pilot projects next year.

Random TinyHacker Links

• Windows 7 Plain & Simple – A book for your non-hacker friends
  If you look on its cover, this books seems cheery and less “serious” than other technology books. That’s because, at least according to this review, the book is not for TinyHacker readers; but for your friends who don’t really care about understanding technology but still want to use it to get the job done.
• Running Older Software in Windows 7
  A guide to using program compatibility mode in Windows 7.
• Play Your Music from DropBox Using DropTunes
  A neat web based music player for the tracks you’ve stored in your Dropbox account.
• Control Your Desktop For Free From Your iOS Device
  JumiMouse from the App Store allows to to control your desktop with your iPhone, iPad or iPod. Jumi has a whole suite of functions, both paid and free (ad supported).
• YouTube Live
  YouTube’s new live streaming channel.

Super User Questions

See the great answers to this week’s batch of popular questions from Super User.

• Install linux to USB flash drive – “normal” not “live”
• How important is having 64-bit programs on 64-bit OS?
• Is it possible to copy all Windows 7 files from one HD to another and boot from the new HD?
• What are the technical differences between Windows Vista and Windows 7?
• How to properly secure a wireless home network

How-To Geek Weekly Article Recap

We have some great reading for your weekend with our hottest posts of the week.

• How to Find Thousands of Free Ebooks Online
• Important Warning: Be Careful Downloading Open Source Apps via Search
• Ask the Readers: What’s In Your Flash Drive Toolkit?
• What You Said: What’s In Your Flash Drive Toolkit
• Stupid Geek Tricks: How to Display the Windows Version on the Desktop

Geeky Goodness from the ETC Side

Fill out your weekend reading with these fun and popular ETC posts.

• Which Sign of the Geek Zodiac are You? [Fun Chart]
• Mac versus PC – A Comparison Chart on Who is Winning [Infographic]
• How Loud Is Too Loud; Understanding dB [Infographic]
• Food Lab: The Science of Perfectly Boiled Eggs
• BatteryCalibration Recalibrates Your Android Phone’s Battery
• Geek Project: Spare Closet Converted to a DIY Home Data Center
• Bolt-Action Supercharges Spud Gun Design
• Monitor Your Downloads in a Tab Instead of a Separate Window in Firefox
• Understanding Wall Wart Power Supplies [Electronics]
• OpenSignalMaps Offers Real World Cell Coverage Maps

One Year Ago on How-To Geek

Have fun tweaking your systems with these great articles from one year ago.

• How To Quickly Reboot Directly from Windows 7 to XP, Vista, or Ubuntu
• Change the User Interface Language in Vista or Windows 7
• Fix Icon Display Problems by Rebuilding the Windows 7 Thumbnail Cache
• Uninstall, Disable, or Remove Windows 7 Media Center
• How To Uninstall, Disable, and Remove Windows Defender. Also, How Turn it Off

How-To Geek Comics Weekly Roundup

• Excuses
• Realistic Gaming
• Indoor Vacation
• Forcing Geeks to Exercise
• Taxes Suck