This week we learned how to bump your desktop into 3D with BumpTop, get blazing fast, powerful, XP-style search in Windows 7, “learned what makes a portable app portable, how to build a Firefox kiosk, & how to safely store headphone cables”, found out what causes the “File Downloaded from the Internet” warning and how to easily remove it, enjoyed the latest batch of Geek Deals, and more.

Photo by Julian Fong.

Weekly News Links

• When hackers become The Man
  At DefCon 19 this year, plenty of the nearly 12,000 attendees had gray hair, most work as security professionals, and some even brought their children. A community is growing and growing up.
• Report: Justice Dept. says Page knew about rogue drug ads
  Google co-founder and CEO Larry Page condoned ads from rogue online Canadian pharmacies, says a Justice Department official who led the investigation into the case and talked to The Wall Street Journal about it.
• Google move hints at Chrome for Android
  Android’s unbranded browser is coming back into the WebKit fold. The software–called simply “Browser” on Android phones and tablets–is based on the open-source browser engine called WebKit. It’s long been disassociated from it, though, and now Google is trying to reunite the projects in a move that could portend the arrival of a branded Chrome on Android.
• Mozilla WebAPI wants to replace native apps with HTML5
  Mozilla has launched an ambitious new project aimed at breaking down the proprietary app systems on today’s mobile devices. The project, dubbed WebAPI, is Mozilla’s effort to provide a consistent, cross-platform, web-based API for mobile app developers.
• Scholarships for female security students
  The International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, or (ISC), has announced that it will offer up to two scholarships each year specifically for women to study information security.
• Mozilla chair defends rapid-release Firefox
  The Firefox rapid-release program has caused some corporate indigestion, but Mozilla Chair Mitchell Baker believes it’s worth it.
• Download.com wraps downloads in bloatware, lies about motivations
  CNET’s Download.com has begun wrapping downloads in a proprietary installer. Note: Well worth the read if you or someone you know uses Download.com to download software.
• Facebook finally giving users more privacy control
  Facebook announced changes this past Tuesday that will let people quickly know exactly who can see everything they post and to block unwanted photos and other items tagged by others from their profile page.
• Web site security undermined by poor development
  Recent number of high-profile security breaches that afflicted companies such as Sony and RSA can be attributed to developers who placed more importance on style over security elements, a new report stated.
• Firms need vigilance in hacktivism age
  Traditional motivations associated with hacking are making a comeback, but while stealth attacks remain more dangerous than hacktivism, organizations must still be on their guard and take precautions against the resurgence of not-for-money attacks, security observers noted.
• McAfee says Android plagued by the most malware
  Security software provider McAfee said this past Tuesday that the amount of malware, or malicious software, targeting Androids phones jumped 76 percent since the last quarter, making it the most heavily attacked mobile operating system.
• UPnP-enabled routers allow attacks on LANs
  Routers from various manufacturers support UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) on their WAN interfaces, which apparently makes it possible for attackers to reconfigure them remotely via the internet and, for example, misuse them as surfing proxies or to infiltrate internal LANs.
• Mac OS X Lion fails to check passwords when authenticating via LDAP
  A bug in the module for authenticating (Open)LDAP under Mac OS X 10.7.x Lion can result in any password being accepted during log-in – all that’s required is a valid user name.
• Threat presented by F-Secure ActiveX component
  F-Secure warns that a vulnerability in its Anti-Virus and Internet Security products allows systems to become infected with malicious code when users visit a specially crafted web site.
• Alleged web site attacks broadcast on Chinese TV
  The Wall Street Journal and other media have reported that a video by the CCTV 7 TV station briefly became available on the internet showing a tool which appeared to launch an attack on an American university.

Random TinyHacker Links

• Create Your Own Sound Scheme in Windows 7
  If you are tired of the sound schemes that are bundled with Windows 7, you can always create your own. This guide shows you how.
• How to Sync Folders with Windows Live Mesh
  For those of you using or planning to use Windows Live Mesh – this tutorial will be worth checking out.
• Have you ever tried Quick Heal security solutions?
  This review covers a less known security solution, from the Indian company Quick Heal Technologies.
• If Web Browsers Were Celebrities
  A fun chart showing who browsers would be if they were celebrities.
• Who are the New Gamers?
  An interesting infographic created with data from Latitude’s “The Future of Gaming: A Portrait of the New Gamers” innovation study.

Super User Questions

If you have questions, then Super User has the answers you are looking for.

• Is it possible to make a .png image that doesn’t have rectangular dimensions?
• How to lock a file against deletion but still make it writeable?
• Removing past searches from Google Chrome’s Omnibar
• How can I safely open a suspicious email?
• Is a ‘hard shutdown’ harmful to computer hardware?

How-To Geek Weekly Article Recap

Heat up your weekend reading with our hottest HTG Main articles of the week.

• The How-To Geek Guide to Getting Started with Usenet
• HTG Explains: So You Lost Your Smartphone, Now What?
• How To Protect Your Data From A Hurricane, Flood, or Natural Disaster
• HTG Reviews: The Diamond WR300N Wireless Repeater
• From the Tips Box: Headphone Storage, Classy Charging Stations, DIY Reusable Zip Ties

Geeky Goodness from the ETC Side

Put the fun back in your weekend with our most popular ETC posts of the week.

• Windows XP – The Pirate Bay Edition [Humorous Image]
• The Perfect Use for Internet Explorer 10 [Humorous Image]
• Windows 8 UI: Here’s the New File Copy / Replace Dialogs
• Windows 8 Has Completely Redesigned File Copy/Move Dialogs
• Software Piracy: The Untold Tales [Infographic]
• Extreme Console Mod Combines 360, PS3, and Wii
• Wire Your Car Stereo for Bluetooth Music Streaming
• Event Horizon [Wallpaper]
• How Harry Potter Should Have Ended [Video]
• Summertime Road [Wallpaper]

One Year Ago on How-To Geek

Go on a media-related tweaking blitz this weekend with these great articles from one year ago.

• 10 Great Skins That Make VLC Media Player Look Awesome
• The How-To Geek Guide to Windows 7 Media Center
• The How-To Geek Guide to Computer Microphones
• Completely Remove iTunes and Other Apple Software from a Windows Computer
• How to Use Dropbox with an iPhone or iPod Touch

How-To Geek Comics Weekly Roundup

• Klingon Photoshop Trick
• Rube’s Cube
• Your Meal is a Little Overcooked
• The Mouse Curser
• Social Networking versus Party Lines