This week we learned how to get started with the Linux command-line text editor Nano, “speed up Start Menu searching, halt auto-rotating Android screens, & set up Dropbox-powered torrenting”, change the default application for Android tasks, find great gift recommendations for Valentine’s Day using the How-To Geek Valentine’s Day gift guide, had fun decorating our desktops with TRON and TRON Legacy theme items, and more.

Photo by Mark Theriault.

Weekly News Links

• Facebook scams aplenty
  With Valentine’s Day round the corner, cybercriminals are once again “cashing in” on the commercialization of the event, hoping to scam unsuspecting Facebook users.
• McAfee: Data theft attacks besiege oil industry
  For years, companies in the oil and energy industry have been the victims of attempts to steal e-mail and other sensitive information from hackers believed to be in China, according to a new report from McAfee.
• Linux vulnerable to USB worms
  At the ShmooCon hacker conference, security expert Jon Larimer from IBM’s X-Force team demonstrated that Linux is far from immune from attacks via USB storage devices.
• Researchers demo iPhone passwords hack
  A German research firm has demonstrated how passwords stored on an iPhone can be retrieved in less than six minutes without needing to know the passcode.
• Microsoft Offers Insight into the Battle Against Zbot / Zeus
  Microsoft has made available for download a special edition of its Security Intelligence report that is focused entirely on the battle it’s waging against Zbot also known as Zeus.
• ZDI names and shames security vulnerabilities from Microsoft, IBM, HP and Novell
  Six months ago, the Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) announced that it would no longer tolerate vendors taking a long time to fix security flaws in their products and would release information on vulnerabilities after a maximum of 180 days.
• Comodo enters Mac security market with new antivirus beta
  The free Mac antivirus market continues to expand with Comodo joining Sophos in releasing a free antivirus program for Mac users. Comodo Antivirus for Mac isn’t yet a finished product, but a public beta has been released for the purpose of testing ahead of a general release.
• Anonymous hacks firm trying to investigate it
  A security firm investigating the people behind the recent Anonymous cyberattacks on various Web sites has become a victim of the group’s exploits.
• Windows 7 Patch Tuesday security updates break VMware software
  Two Windows 7 security patches from this month’s Patch Tuesday are reported to prevent VMware’s View desktop virtualistation client from accessing the View Connection Server.
• Google extends 2-step authentication to all users
  In a blog posting, Google technicians have announced a new optional log-in procedure that requires users to enter a verification code as well as their password.
• MPEG LA patent move blemishes Google’s Web video plan
  MPEG LA, an organization that licenses video-related patents related to a variety of standards, has formally requested for patent owners to inform them of patents they believe Google’s VP8 technology uses.
• US seeks veto powers over new domain names
  The Obama administration is quietly seeking the power for it and other governments to veto future top-level domain names, a move that raises questions about free expression, national sovereignty, and the role of states in shaping the future of the Internet.
• Firefox 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 and 7.0 to Ship in 2011
  Gone are the days when users had to wait as much as a year between major iterations of Firefox. Mozilla is planning to release no less than 4 new versions of its open source browser by the end of this year.
• Canonical Releases World’s Largest Component Catalog for Linux
  Canonical has announced that it has made its entire database of certified hardware components for Linux and Ubuntu publicly available for the first time. This will rapidly reduce the time-to-market for ODMs (Original Design Manufacturers) working on Linux or Ubuntu systems.
• Ubuntu 11.04 Release Schedule Changed
  The Ubuntu release team has announced today that the release schedule for the upcoming Ubuntu 11.04 operating system has been changed. There will be no Release Candidate version, but a Beta 2 release instead.

Random TinyHacker Links

Photo by OMG! Ubuntu!.

• The best indicator applets for Ubuntu
  Searching for some good indicator applets for your Ubuntu system? Check out this roundup.
• Get this great security tool for Windows: Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit
  Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit is a free security tool from Microsoft which helps you enhance the security of your Windows. The tool allows you to harden applications that weren’t originally designed to take advantage of Windows security features, such as DEP (Data Execution Prevention).
• Book Review: Windows 7 Step By Step
  Searching for a good book about Windows 7? Do you want detailed tutorials with images to guide you every step of the way? If the answer is yes to both questions, check out this book: Windows 7 Step By Step.
• Hardly Working: Productivity In The Workplace
  An interesting infographic chart about productivity in the workplace (or lack thereof).
• Puppy Bowl VII on Animal Planet
  Watch fun highlight videos from the seventh Puppy Bowl.

Super User Questions

See the great answers to these popular questions from Super User.

• How does a PDF prevent itself from being printed?
• Will you install software on the same partition as Windows system?
• Windows UAC vs. Linux sudo
• Can IP v4 and IP v6 share a single physical Ethernet?
• What is the quickest and best way to copy a 500 gig drive?

How-To Geek Weekly Article Recap

Check out our hottest and most popular articles from this past week.

• Here’s a Super Simple Trick to Defeating Fake Anti-Virus Malware
• Stop Believing TV’s Lies: The Real Truth About “Enhancing” Images
• Internet Explorer 9 RC Now Available: Here’s the Most Interesting New Stuff
• Are You Using Facebook with an Encrypted Session Yet?
• Inspire Geek Love with These Hilarious Geek Valentines

One Year Ago on How-To Geek

Have fun reading through our latest batch of retro geeky article goodness.

• Using Program Compatibility Mode in Windows 7
• How To Run Ubuntu in Windows 7 with VMware Player
• Geek Fun: Virtualized old school Windows 3.11
• Run XP Mode on Windows 7 Machines Without Hardware Virtualization
• Create an XP Mode for Windows 7 Home Versions & Vista

The Geek Note

That is all we have for you this week and we hope that all of you have a happy and wonderful Valentine’s Day! Got a great tip? Make sure to send it in to us at tips@howtogeek.com.

Photo by Pete Prodoehl.