This week we learned how to pin any file to the Windows 7 Taskbar, sync iTunes to an Android phone, create custom cover pages in Microsoft Word 2010, how you use the Command Line on your computers, got to indulge in some sweet Geek Deals, and more.

Photo by pasukaru76.

Weekly News Links

• Hacking group LulzSec says it’s calling it quits
  After a whirlwind run of headline-grabbing hacking exploits that involved the likes of Sony, the CIA, the U.S. Senate, and FBI partner Infragard, hacking group LulzSec is apparently–and suddenly–calling it quits.
• Backdoor in popular WordPress plug-ins
  Following the discovery of a backdoor in three popular plug-ins, the developers of WordPress reset the passwords for WordPress.org and blocked access to all extension repositories while they “looked for anything else unsavory”.
• Criminals exploiting critical vulnerability in Flash
  Criminals are using a critical vulnerability in Flash to distribute malicious code on a large scale; the vulnerability was fixed by Adobe last week on its patch day. Make sure you have Flash updated on your systems.
• Dropbox left login door open for 4 hours
  Dropbox has admitted that an erroneous code update on Sunday 19 June allowed logins without authentication and allowed users to access files held by other users of the file synchronisation service.
• Critical vulnerability in industrial control software
  The ICS-CERT (Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team), an agency of the US Department of Homeland Security, has warned of security vulnerabilities in globally distributed control software for industrial plants.
• FBI shuts down $72M scareware ring
  The FBI has announced that in conjunction with the Department of Justice, it has closed down a scareware ring. In an operation named “Trident Tribunal”, 22 computers in the US were seized by the FBI; also seized were computers in other countries and bank accounts in Latvia.
• Bitcoin exchange closed after attack
  Bitcoin, the anonymous decentralised open source virtual currency, faces yet another problem after a theft and a trojan attack on Windows PCs where the “digital wallet” had been saved. The Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox has been temporarily shut down following an attack.
• FTC launching antitrust probe over Google search, ad businesses
  Google is about to get served—with a civil subpoena, that is. The Federal Trade Commission is on the verge of serving Google as part of a formal antitrust investigation into Google’s Web dominance, according to sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal, with the requests for more information expected to be sent to Google “within days.”
• Many Amazon cloud users reveal confidential data
  Sharing Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) to run on Amazon’s Web Services (AWS) can open the door to attackers when users do not follow appropriate safety advice.
• With Anonymous and LulzSec, is anyone believable?
  For several months, hackers have been having a heyday taking down Web sites and leaking data from compromised servers with victims ranging from the CIA and U.S. Senate to Sony, Citigroup and the Turkish government.
• Mozilla rebuts Microsoft’s concern over WebGL 3D
  Mozilla has answered Microsoft’s concern that WebGL raises too many security risks with the observation that Microsoft itself has accepted the same risks with 3D interface technology coming with its own Silverlight browser plug-in.
• Offline Google Docs starts playing peek-a-boo
  One of the big criticisms of Google’s Chromebooks is that they’re significantly less useful when you don’t have an Internet connection or are paying by the megabyte for a wireless data plan. That drawback is particularly glaring when it comes to Google Docs.
• Mozilla eyes hassle-free PDFs on the Web
  PDF files have long been an awkward fit with the Web, but a new project from the developers of Firefox shows how online PDFs are changing for the better.
• Windows 8 for software developers: the Longhorn dream reborn?
  Early this month, Microsoft dropped something of a bombshell on Windows developers: the new Windows 8 touch-friendly immersive style would use a developer platform not based on .NET, which Microsoft has been championing for the past decade. Instead, it would use HTML5 and JavaScript.
• Storing passwords in uncrackable form
  News about intrusions into the servers of online stores, games vendors and other internet services can now be read on an almost daily basis. As many people use the same password in multiple places, criminals can use the passwords to obtain unauthorised access to further services.

Random TinyHacker Links

• iPaste Makes Sharing Code Snippets Easy
  iPaste lets you upload and share code quickly. It also has many options like syntax highlighting, password protection etc.
• A Guide to Note Taking With Memonic
  A review of Memonic, a neat note taking tool.
• Searching for good Internet Explorer 9 add-ons?
  Look no further. Check out this round-up of add-ons.
• How to use the Device Manager
  This very detailed tutorial, explains how to use the Device Manager included in Windows 7 and Windows Vista. Check it out!
• Stuxnet: Anatomy of a Computer Virus
  An interesting mini-documentary that provides a detailed look at what Stuxnet is and what it did.

Super User Questions

Get the answers you need at Super User. Here are some of this week’s most popular questions.

• What differences are between firmware and software/OS?
• Encrypted HDD 100% safe?
• Where do deleted items go on the hard drive?
• What is a Codec (e.g. DivX?), and how does it differ from a File Format (e.g. MPG)?
• How to convert any video to DVD (.vob) in good video quality?

How-To Geek Weekly Article Recap

Add some heat to your weekend reading with our hottest HTG Main articles of the week.

• Ask the Readers: Do You Use the Command Line?
• How To Easily Access Your Home Network From Anywhere With DDNS
• What is a Histogram, and How Can I Use it to Improve My Photos?
• Stupid Geek Tricks: Disable Windows 7 Aero Peek in Two Clicks
• Get More From Your Kindle: Tips, Tricks, Hacks, and Free Books

Geeky Goodness from the ETC Side

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

• Danger – Authorized Personnel Only [Wallpaper]
• Turn a Computer Power Supply into a Desktop Power Supply
• Five Fake Sounds Engineered to Make Your Feel Better [Science]
• 10 Tech Products Ahead of Their Time [Video]
• Angry Tux [Wallpaper]
• Recycle Old Hardware into a Showcase Table
• Windows 8 Style Ultimate Tile Theme Backgrounds [Wallpaper Pack]
• 101 Classic Computer Magazine Ads [Images of the Past]
• Diagram of Geek Culture (Geek Map) [Infographic]
• How to Create a Cinemagraph; Still Photos with Moving Elements

One Year Ago on How-To Geek

Work on your offline/online office suites, mail, and calendar apps this weekend with these great articles from one year ago.

• Integrate MS Office and Your Zoho Online Account
• Access and Edit Your Documents Online with Zoho
• Bring Office 2003 Menus Back to 2010 with UBitMenu
• Minimize Windows Live Mail to the System Tray in Windows 7
• View Your Google Calendar in Outlook 2010

How-To Geek Comics Weekly Roundup

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