This week we learned how to know the difference between pixels and vectors, make DVDs from almost any video file, sync Rainlendar calendars for free with Dropbox, use verbose boot messages to troubleshoot Windows startup problems, make Microsoft Word always use plain text for pasted text, and more.

Photo by smohundro.

Weekly Feature

The latest release of Linux Mint (Julia) comes with a fresh, polished new silver theme called “Mint-X”. This quick tutorial shows you how to set up the new theme in Ubuntu.

Photo by OMG! Ubuntu!.

Install Linux Mint’s brand new theme in Ubuntu

Random Geek Links

Photo by Kaspersky.

• Hacked Kaspersky server deploys scareware
  Last Sunday, for a period of almost four hours, the US site of anti-virus vendor Kaspersky (kasperskyusa.com) deployed scareware on visitors’ computers.
• Microsoft reports ‘unprecedented wave’ of Java malware exploits
  According to data from Microsoft’s malware protection center, there has been an “unprecedented wave” of exploits against vulnerabilities in Oracle Sun’s Java software in 2010.
• Trojan trouble at Lenovo
  Lenovo’s web site for service and support-related training (www.lenovoservicetraining.com) is infected and is spreading the hackload.AD trojan.
• Zero-day exploit for Adobe Shockwave
  A Windows exploit for a previously undisclosed hole in Adobe’s Shockwave player has been released.
• Security problems in media players
  Vulnerabilities in the Winamp and RealPlayer media players reportedly allow malicious code to be injected and executed on Windows PCs via specially crafted media files.
• Siemens Stuxnet patch does not provide sufficient protection
  The Siemens SIMATIC Security Update  for protecting WinCC systems against Stuxnet infections doesn’t close the actual hole in the SQL server configuration. It only prevents the known Stuxnet variants from working.
• Killing the zombie cookie
  The permanent evercookie presented around four weeks ago is apparently easier to kill than previously thought.
• Google starts to pay price for Android failures
  Growing fall-out over the decision to give mobile carriers control over what was billed as an open source project is starting to impact Google’s image.
• No more Windows XP preloads allowed on new PCs
  As of October 22, PC makers are no longer allowed by Microsoft to preload Windows XP on new PCs.
• Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie leaving Microsoft
  In a very surprising move, Microsoft has announced that Ray Ozzie, Microsoft’s Chief Software Architect, will be stepping down from his position and leaving the company after a transition period.

Geek Video of the Week

Robert Downey Jr. demanded all of these options. Watch to see what happened during the alternate takes!

Photo by CollegeHumor.

Iron Man 2 Alternate Takes

Productive Geek Tips

Photo by Sighthound.

• How to Maximize the Battery Life on Your Linux Laptop
  Power saving is a hot topic for laptop users who need to get things done when they are on the move and running on limited battery energy. Here is a list of smart Linux tricks to save battery power.
• Exchanging Data Safely with OAuth
  There are a lot of websites that use our Twitter or Facebook credentials to create a user account. OAuth allows service providers on the web to exchange data safely. So how does it work?
• How to Back up and Recover Firefox Profiles with FEBE
  Recovering the content of your computer after a hardware failure can be a nightmare, especially when you do not have a good back up system. But you can make the job a lot easier by properly backing up your Firefox profile.
• Email This for Firefox Quickly Sends Web Pages Using Email
  The Email This extension for Firefox does just one thing, and it does it well—it will add a menu option to quickly email selected text, a link, and the title of the page to whoever you would like.
• Customize the Web with the RIP Extension for Firefox
  Remove It Permanently (RIP) is a Firefox add-on that lets you modify a webpage’s layout by blocking HTML elements—very useful when you want to change the look and feel of a webpage.

Random TinyHacker Links

Photo by Anandtech.com.

• One of the best reviews of the Windows Phone 7
  If you want to read a really detailed analysis of the new Windows Phone 7, you should definitely check this one out.
• The new MacBook Air, Lion OS X, Mac App Store, iLife 11
  If you want to know more about the upcoming Apple products, check out this article.
• The Screenshot Tour of Windows Live Messenger 2011
  Want to take a peek at what Windows Live Messenger 2011 has to offer?
• How to test a Memory Card
  A hilarious video depicting the “ultimate” in memory card testing.
• Looking For Love
  An interesting infographic that looks at online dating.

Super User Questions

If you have questions, then Super User has great answers. Here are some of this week’s hottest topics.

• How to determine if a hard disk is really failing or not
• Can system restore remove virus from the computer?
• Is there a way to have Linux run a command every X minutes?
• Windows Key while using Unix/ Linux?
• Disable Java Plugin in Google Chrome?

Latest Reviews at How-To Geek

Enjoy browsing through our latest software reviews.

• VLC Remote Full Version
  The VLC Remote app lets you use your iPhone or iPod Touch as a remote control for VLC on the Mac or PC.
• Balsamiq Mockups For Desktop
  Use Balsamiq Mockups to quickly create mockups of apps, websites, and more, then demonstrate or share them with others.
• ESET Cybersecurity for Mac
  ESET’s Cybersecurity for the Mac is a lightweight yet powerful anti-virus from the makers of NOD32.

How-To Geek Weekly Article Recap

Catch up on our hottest articles from this past week.

• HTG Explains: Why Do So Many Geeks Hate Internet Explorer?
• What’s the Difference Between HDMI and DVI? Which is Better?
• How to Create a Shortcut That Nukes Every Running Windows App
• BitTorrent for Beginners: How To Get Started Downloading Torrents
• How to Manually Repair Windows 7 Boot Loader Problems

One Year Ago on How-To Geek

More geeky goodness for you from one year ago.

• Make Aero Peek Display Instantly (or Disable it) in Windows 7
• Prevent Themes From Modifying Icons and Cursors in Windows 7
• Run Apps in Sandboxie to Keep Your System Clean and Secure
• How To Pin Windows Update to the Taskbar in Windows 7
• Get a Great Out-of-the-Box Audio Player with Jaangle

The Geek Note

That has everything wrapped up for now, so see you back here again next week! Got a great tip? Then make sure to send it in to us at tips@howtogeek.com.

Photo by jakesmome.