This week we learned how to quickly cut a clip from a video file with Avidemux, “tile windows, remote control a desktop using an iOS device, taking advantage of Windows 7 libraries”, turn a home Ubuntu PC into a LAMP web server, enable desktop notifications for Gmail in Chrome, “what image channels are and what they mean”, and more.

Photo by jjackowski.

Weekly News Links

Photo by Microsoft-Softpedia.

• AVG Antivirus 2011 Is Rogue Antivirus FakeXPA
  It’s nothing short of common practice for rogue antivirus to copy the brands and elements of visual identity of legitimate security products in order to masquerade as genuine products. The latest example was highlighted by the Microsoft Malware Protection Center, and involves an old fake antivirus: Rogue:Win32/FakeXPA.
• Microsoft to seal 22 security holes this month
  Microsoft today said it will address 22 vulnerabilities as part of next week’s Patch Tuesday, three of which are critical. Three of the 12 bulletin items released by Microsoft earlier today are classified as critical, and affect Microsoft’s Windows operating system, with one affecting Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser as well. The rest are classified as “important.”
• Facebook HTTPS: False sense of security?
  It’s great that Facebook is taking steps to protect its customers from scammers and ID thieves, but there’s only so much that company or any Web service can do to thwart snoops and malware purveyors. In Facebook’s case, the weak link may be games and other applications that remain unencrypted.
• Data theft vulnerability in Android 2.3 not plugged
  A security vulnerability in the Android browser which could be exploited to steal data, and was disclosed back in November 2010, is still exploitable in the latest version of the smartphone operating system.
• ATM Skimmers That Never Touch the ATM
  Many of today’s skimmer scams can swipe your card details and personal identification number while leaving the ATM itself completely untouched, making them far more difficult to spot.
• Investigation into black market prices for stolen online banking data
  Panda reports that it infiltrated a criminal network for trading stolen data and hawking services. The vendor explored a total of 50 such online forums and shops, discovering many interesting prices.
• Report: Hackers penetrated Nasdaq computers
  Federal authorities are investigating repeated intrusions into the computer network that runs the Nasdaq stock exchange.
• Attacks on London Stock Exchange under investigation
  According to media reports, last August the London Stock Exchange was the victim of a cyber-attack which resulted in a collapse in the share prices of at least five companies.
• Lawmakers ruffling Facebook feathers again
  Two members of the U.S. House of Representatives are putting the pressure on Facebook to say more about its plans to share more user information with third parties.
• Lawsuit: AT&T “systematically overstates” data usage on iPhone bills
  AT&T finds itself at the center of a class action lawsuit that alleges that the provider’s bills “systematically overstate the amount of data used on each data transaction.”
• Verizon to throttle data speeds for heaviest users
  Verizon Wireless will begin throttling the data speeds of customers who use an “extraordinary amount” of data, according to a document posted on the company’s Web site.
• Study: U.S. wireless subscribers overpay on service
  The average U.S. wireless subscriber is overpaying on his or her cell phone bill by $336 a year, according to a study by BillShrink, a search engine designed to help people find the best service deals to meet their needs.
• Hotmail launches accounts you can throw away
  Hotmail is getting a new feature aimed at “e-mail enthusiasts,” which lets anyone create multiple e-mail accounts that can be read, replied to, and managed from their everyday e-mail inbox.
• Moving to IPv6: Now for the hard part (FAQ)
  The central Net authorities have handed out the last batches of IPv4 addresses at a ceremony this past week in Florida, beginning the cascade of scarcity that eventually will mean the computing industry must make the painful transition to the newer but incompatible IPv6.
• The Deeper Significance of LibreOffice 3.3
  An interesting look at the LibreOffice fork, the infrastructure that it has already managed to build, the availability of a stable release so soon after forming, and what it signifies in comparison to Oracle’s handling of their open source portfolio.

Random TinyHacker Links

• Holmes on Homes meets Angry Birds
  This is what would happen if the pigs from Angry Birds hired a building inspector.
• Elmore Leonard’s Ten Rules of Writing
  The less said, the better. Apply this rule liberally.
• Dear Microsoft
  Rap about the shortcomings in Hotmail and Messenger.
• No Torrents!
  An infographic detailing many “less then desirable” things that can be searched for using Google while torrents are censored.
• Super Bowl Infographic
  An infographic detailing historical facts about the Super Bowl.

Super User Questions

See the great answers to these question from Super User.

• Why does WMI Provider Host ( WmiPrvSE.exe ) keep spiking my CPU?
• How can I download a file directly to a web server?
• Is it possible to combine two internet connections to increase performance?
• Can I set up a website on a wifi router?
• Convert a column into a comma separated list

How-To Geek Weekly Article Recap

Enjoy reading through our five hottest articles from this past week.

• How to Recover that Photo, Picture or File You Deleted Accidentally
• How to Remote View and Control Your Android Phone
• How To Colorize Black and White Vintage Photographs in Photoshop
• How to Transfer Files Between Your PC and Android Phone Wirelessly
• How to Take Control and Customize Google Calendar Reminders

One Year Ago on How-To Geek

Here is our newest batch of retro geeky goodness for your reading enjoyment.

• Use Quick Launch as a Super-Powered Application Launcher
• Fix Windows Update Errors by Letting ActiveX Traffic Through
• Stop the Mouse From Waking Up Your Computer from Sleep Mode
• How To Use Parental Controls in Windows 7
• Restore Previous Versions of Files in Every Edition of Windows 7

How-To Geek Comics Weekly Roundup

• You Know You’re Computer Illiterate When…
• This Is a Completely Accurate Illustration of Me at My Last Job
• This Is the Perfect Solution for Stopping Spam

The Geek Note

That wraps up this week’s edition, so make sure to get out and have some fun if you can before heading back to work! Got a great tip? Then be sure to send it in to us at tips@howtogeek.com.

Photo by lschoen.