This week we learned how to easily change a dual-booting PC’s default OS, “extract audio from any video using VLC, sneak around paywalls, & delay Windows Live Mesh during boot”, shrink videos to fit an Android phone with VLC, fix damaged or broken audio cables, “decide between an ISO or TS folder, help Windows 7 remember folder locations, & convert books for the Kindle”, and more.

Photo by Profound Whatever.

Weekly News Links

• New malware steals your Bitcoin
  In a sure sign that the virtual currency Bitcoin has hit the mainstream, a new Trojan horse program discovered in the wild Thursday seeks out and steals victims’ Bitcoin wallets, the same way other malware goes for their banking passwords or credit card numbers.
• Scammers turning to phone calls to gain PC access
  Forget e-mail. Criminals are making old-fashioned phone calls and offering free security scans in order to gain access to people’s computers, according to Microsoft.
• WebGL is just too dangerous to support, says Microsoft
  Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) Engineering has concluded that WebGL, the royalty free cross-platform API for browser-based 3D graphics, is “overly permissive,” insecure, and potentially harmful to machines using it.
• Malware targets custom Android ROMs
  Malware designed to exploit a flaw which granted extra permissions to applications on devices with custom Android ROMs has been identified by Lookout Mobile Security.
• Siemens fixes vulnerabilities in automation systems
  Siemens has released a firmware update for its SIMATIC S7-1200 programmable logic controllers (PLC) which fixes a known vulnerability.
• U.S. warns of security holes in Chinese SCADA apps
  Software made by a Chinese company and used around the world by chemical, defense, and energy companies contains security holes that attackers could exploit to hack into critical systems.
• Foreign government allegedly behind cyberattack on IMF
  The International Monetary Fund suffered a “major breach” earlier this year that allowed hackers to access a “large quantity” of data, staff and board members were told by e-mail last week.
• Microsoft declares a victory against autorun malware
  A blog post this past week by Microsoft’s Malware Protection Center said the company discovered 1.3 million fewer infections on Windows Vista and XP caused by autorun malware from mid-February to mid-May, compared with the three months prior.
• Chinese military warns of U.S. cyberwar threat
  The Chinese military wants to beef up its cyberdefense efforts as it anticipates greater threats originating from the U.S.
• Now anyone, not just cops with a warrant, can peek inside your Dropbox
  Forensic computer security company ATC-NY on Thursday released a new, free tool called Dropbox Reader which helps investigators read “evidence files” associated with Dropbox cloud storage accounts.
• Keeping up with the hackers (chart)
  There have been more than 40 computer attacks, network intrusions, or data breaches in the last few months. And they seem to be a daily occurrence.
• Why Microsoft has made developers horrified about coding for Windows 8
  When Microsoft gave the first public demonstration of Windows 8 a week ago, the reaction from most circles was positive. But one aspect of the demonstration has the legions of Windows developers deeply concerned, and with good reason: they were told that all their experience, all their knowledge, and every program they have written in the past would be useless on Windows 8.
• Facebook shedding U.S. users as Brazil, Mexico gain
  As Facebook approaches another subscriber milestone, its growth seems to be slowing.
• Amazon cuts affiliate ties in more states over taxes
  Amazon has shut down its affiliates program in Connecticut and Arkansas over the controversial issue of collecting state taxes.
• Lodsys sued by antivirus software maker
  Lodsys, the company pursuing high-profile patent infringement cases against many in the tech industry, is finding itself on the receiving end of a pre-emptive lawsuit challenging its patents.

Want to know more about Bitcoin? Then browse on over to our post explaining what Bitcoin is:

HTG Explains: What Is Bitcoin, the Virtual Digital Currency?

Random TinyHacker Links

• Top Tools to Get Productive With Email
  Suffering with email overload? Want to get more done quickly when dealing with your inbox? Check out these 10 tools that can help you with that.
• Best Tips For Keeping Your RSS Reading Sane
  This article talks about some useful tips for keeping your RSS reading list under control.
• Voice Search In Google
  Voice Search coming soon to google.com in Chrome 11 or higher for everyone. Do you have it yet?
• Save New Movies to Your Netflix Queue With DVD Later
  DVD Later lets you save new releases to your Netflix queue so that they get shipped automatically as soon as the DVD is out.

Super User Questions

Super User is the place to go when you need answers to tough questions.

• Is it possible to format a hard-drive too often?
• Disk fragmentation on Linux
• How to “join” two partitions
• Is there a convenient way to edit PATH in Windows 7?
• How to stop programs from ever running again?

How-To Geek Weekly Article Recap

Get caught up on your HTG Main reading with our hottest articles of the week.

• How to Clean Your Filthy Keyboard in the Dishwasher (Without Ruining it)
• How To Recover After Your Email Password Is Compromised
• Create a Persistent, Bootable, and Virtualized Linux USB Drive with LiLi
• How To Forward Ports on Your Router
• Ask the Readers: How Do You Sync Files Between Your Devices?

Geeky Goodness from the ETC Side

Fill out your weekend reading with our most popular ETC posts of the week.

• A New Style of Age Verification for Websites [Humorous Image]
• First Look at an Awesome Hoverbike Prototype (with Video)
• Hack an IKEA DVD Rack into a Sleek Wall-Mounted Work Station
• Not Now, Skeletor! – Skeletor Invades Your Favorite Cartoons [Humorous Images]
• Wi-Fi Sniffing Picture Frame Snatches Pictures From Nearby Traffic
• Having a Bad Day [Wallpaper]
• Watch a Live Stream of Today’s Lunar Eclipse
• Fantasy Fortress Overlooking the Valley Below [Wallpaper]
• Geek for Hire [Wallpaper]
• Ultra Geeky Lamp Glows when International Space Station Is Overhead

One Year Ago on How-To Geek

Enhance your “Ubuntu and Linux Fu” this weekend with these terrific articles from one year ago.

• How to Browse Without a Trace with an Ubuntu Live CD
• Clone a Hard Drive Using an Ubuntu Live CD
• Make a Drive Image Using an Ubuntu Live CD
• Use Ctrl+Alt+Del for Task Manager in Linux to Kill Tasks Easily
• How To Restore the Wubi Ubuntu Bootloader