This week we learned how to force a browser to remember passwords, customize folder backgrounds and icons in Windows Explorer, improve photography by learning the elements of exposure, sync encrypted files with Dropbox and SecretSync, found out how you backup your data, and more.

Photo by Loozrboy.

Weekly News Links

• Report: Windows 7 almost five times more secure than XP
  Windows 7 is four to five times less vulnerable to malware infections than is Windows XP. Those are the findings of Microsoft’s latest Security Intelligence Report, which detailed in depth the state of software vulnerabilities, exploits, security breaches, and malware in 2010.
• Microsoft: One in 14 downloads is malicious
  The next time a website says to download new software to view a movie or fix a problem, think twice. There’s a pretty good chance that the program is malicious.
• Mac scareware becomes more visible – Update
  Going under the name “Mac Defender”, “Mac Security” or “Mac Protector”, a fake anti-virus application is getting attention as professional criminals target it at Mac users.
• How bad is the Mac malware scare? (FAQ)
  Macintosh users are being targeted with malware that poses as an antivirus warning and tries to trick people into paying for software they don’t need. This FAQ sorts through the facts to help determine how serious the issue really is.
• Android malware subscribes to premium SMS services
  Security specialist Sophos reports that various apps on the Android Market have attempted to make users in China subscribe to premium SMS services without obtaining permission.
• PSN hacked again, 2 days after coming back online
  Just two days after Sony started turning parts of the PlayStation Network back online, it seems to have been hacked again.
• Sony hacked again, used to host phishing site
  With Anonymous Denial of Service attacks and then the twin hacks of PlayStation Network and Sony Online Entertainment, Sony’s online infrastructure has been taking a battering over the last few weeks—and it’s not over yet.
• Expert: Sony attack may have been multipronged
  When it comes to the attack on Sony’s PlayStation Network, the only thing we’re sure of is what we don’t know: how it was done and who did it.
• Researchers cancel SCADA hack talk
  Dillon Beresford and Brian Meixell were planning to perform a demonstration of how to attack critical infrastructure at the TakeDown Conference but cancelled after they were “asked very nicely” to refrain from providing that information.
• Facebook, spammers are in ‘arms race’
  Within days of Facebook rolling out new security features designed to block spam, several new social-engineering attacks were spreading that somehow managed to get by the company’s antispam defenses.
• Facebook Prepares to Launch Bug Bounty Program
  Facebook is working on setting up a bug bounty program that would encourage security researchers to discover vulnerabilities on its platform and report them responsibly.
• Rapid-release idea spreads to Firefox 5 beta
  Mozilla released a beta version of Firefox this past week, its first on a new quick-release plan intended to bring features to browser users and Web developers sooner.
• Mono team presses on with new startup after Attachmate layoffs
  The Mono project, which produces an open source implementation of Microsoft’s .NET runtime and C# compiler, was dealt a serious blow earlier this month when Attachmate laid off the global Mono development team. Mono creator Miguel de Icaza responded to the tough break by assembling a plan to ensure that Mono will land on its feet and continue moving forward without Novell.
• Bill Gates giddy over Skype acquisition
  Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates couldn’t be more pleased to see his company acquire Skype.
• Jobseekers fear career fallout from social media
  More people in Singapore are including online and social media platforms in their job hunt, but there is also growing apprehension over the potential career fallout from social networking sites, finds a new survey by global recruitment agency, Kelly Services. (*Applicable information for wherever you may live)

Random TinyHacker Links

• Want to Truly Learn Microsoft Office 2010?
  There are many available computing books but few really teach you how stuff works and, most important, why it works the way it does. Luckily, Microsoft Office 2010 Inside Out, authored by the ultra-famous Ed Bott, is one such book. If you want to learn Office 2010, you should definitely check it out.
• Got any Windows 7 or Office 2010 “Dummies”?
  Got any “dummies” who need help learning how to work with Windows 7 or Office 2010? You might want to check out this book +  DVD bundle.
• Converting PDF to Kindle and Other Formats
  A guide to converting PDF files to EPUB, MOBI (for Kindle) etc.
• Windows 7 & Vista: Configure Windows Explorer Viewing Templates
  Are you annoyed by the fact that Windows Explorer doesn’t show certain folders using the viewing template you want (e.g. Large Icons instead of Details or Tiles instead of Content)? This tutorial shows how to fix this problem. Forever!
• Changing Your Default Browser
  Simple and useful guides to changing your default browser to Firefox, Chrome, IE, Safari and Opera.

Super User Questions

If you have questions then Super User has the answers you are looking for. Here are some of this week’s most popular topics.

• Where is a typical Linux program installed?
• What is port forwarding and what is it used for?
• Installing legal older versions of Windows XP
• Cross platform Hard Disk encryption?
• Does printer ink evaporate with time?

How-To Geek Weekly Article Recap

Enjoy reading through our hottest HTG Main articles from this past week.

• How to Block All Cookies Except for Sites You Use
• How to Use a Soldering Iron: A Beginner’s Guide
• HTG Explains: Cameras, Lenses, and How Photography Works
• Ask HTG: Rebooting Too Frequently, Moving Microsoft Office, Tethering to a WiMax Laptop
• Mac OS X Viruses: How to Remove and Prevent the Mac Protector Malware

Geeky Goodness from the ETC Side

Add a bit of fun to your weekend reading with our most popular ETC posts of the week.

• Build a Custom and Stylish Cable-Hiding Desk on the Cheap
• Save a Bundle by Skipping the Expensive HDMI Cables
• Homemade Water Rocket Is Cheap Low-altitude Fun
• The Evolution of Email [Infographic]
• A Highway through Autumn Woods [Wallpaper]
• Early Morning Skies Above the City [Wallpaper]
• Serene Mountains in the Distance [Wallpaper]
• Journey through Spring Countryside on a Rainy Day [Wallpaper]
• Angry Birds versus Tiny Wings versus? [Video]
• Relive the Early Days of the Internet at Telehack

One Year Ago on How-To Geek

Tweak your Firefox and Chrome browsers over the weekend with these great posts from one year ago.

• The Beginner’s Guide to Greasemonkey User Scripts in Firefox
• Beginner Guide to User Styles for Firefox
• Put Unused Tabs on Hold in Firefox
• Create and Backup Multiple Profiles in Google Chrome
• How to Disable the New Geolocation Feature in Google Chrome

How-To Geek Comics Weekly Roundup

• Health Insurance
• Geek Fishing
• Giant Monitors
• Retaliation
• Online Degrees