Tech Help and Discussions

You have no doubt seen the barrage of advertising, emails and stories about all the great tech deals that are available this week because of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There are plenty of deals to be had and now, with so many of them being offered online instead of just in the physical stores, it is easy to shop for some great deals. All of us geeks like to save a few bucks as we indulge our bleeding edge tech lifestyles so the online shopping makes it very accessible - plus there is no traffic and parking problems. I am a regular shopper at Newegg as they always seems to have really good deals even when it isn't this time of the year but today they have an offe…

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AWS replied November 29, 20159 yr

The company has released a fix, and plans to put things back for affected users People who updated to the latest Windows 10 update may want to double-check their settings. Microsoft revealed Tuesday that it took the previous update (which was released on November 12) down from the Internet the day before because of a problem that reset some users' privacy settings when installed. The bug reset settings on affected devices to make it easier for advertisers to track users across applications, and allow devices to share users' information with wireless gizmos like bluetooth beacons that don't explicitly pair with a PC, tablet or phone. Microsoft released a fix…

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allheart55 Cindy E replied November 25, 20159 yr

Man Uses LifeLock To Track Ex-Wife; Company Didn’t Care By Chris Morran November 23, 2015 http://consumerist.com/2015/11/23/ma...ny-didnt-care/ Imagine you found out that your former spouse had opened a fake LifeLock credit monitoring account in your name, and then used it to follow your every financial move for two years? Then imagine that no one at LifeLock will take your query seriously, even after the police get involved. That’s the story of an Arizona woman who learned in March that her ex-husband had been keeping track — literally, their son found a five-page Excel spreadsheet on his computer — of her bank accounts, credit cards and other financial activitie…

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allheart55 Cindy E replied November 25, 20159 yr

The Dell System Detect application also installs a self-signed root certificate on computers The plot thickens: After Dell confirmed that one of its support tools installed a dangerous self-signed root certificate and private key on computers, users discovered a similar certificate deployed by a different Dell tool. The second certificate is called DSDTestProvider and is installed by an application called Dell System Detect (DSD). Users are prompted to download and install this tool when they visit the Dell support website and click the “Detect Product” button. The first certificate, which was reported over the weekend, is called eDellRoot and is installed by the…

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allheart55 Cindy E replied November 24, 20159 yr

Dell users may have a serious security problem on their hands, thanks to an unorthodox SSL certificate that comes pre-installed on a number of the company's laptops. The certificate is called eDellRoot, first discovered by a programmer named Joe Nord, and because of Dell's pre-installed permissions, affected computers are set to trust any SSL certificate it signs. The problem is, because the key is stored locally, it's likely that an attacker could create a forged version of the signing key, exposing users to all manner of SSL attacks. Users have found the certificate key on both the Inspiron 5000 and XPS 15 and The Verge was able to detect it on an XPS 13, suggesting …

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allheart55 Cindy E replied November 23, 20159 yr

Use AdBlock And Yahoo May Block You From Reading Your E-Mail By Chris Morran November 20, 2015 http://consumerist.com/2015/11/20/us...g-your-e-mail/ *Note: Please go to the web site to access the "screengrab" mentioned below. This screengrab*, showing Yahoo was barring the user from accessing their e-mail account, was posted to the AdBlock Plus forum earlier this week. Yahoo subsequently confirmed that it is blocking some users from their Yahoo Mail accounts. This screengrab, showing Yahoo was barring the user from accessing their e-mail account, was posted to the AdBlock Plus forum earlier this week. Yahoo subsequently confirmed that it is blocking some users …

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allheart55 Cindy E replied November 22, 20159 yr

The PC revolution started off life 30 years ago this week. Microsoft launched its first version of Windows on November 20th, 1985, to succeed MS-DOS. It was a huge milestone that paved the way for the modern versions of Windows we use today. While Windows 10 doesn’t look anything like Windows 1.0, it still has many of its original fundamentals like scroll bars, drop-down menus, icons, dialog boxes, and apps like Notepad and MS paint. Windows 1.0 also set the stage for the mouse. If you used MS-DOS then you could only type in commands, but with Windows 1.0 you picked up a mouse and moved windows around by pointing and clicking. Alongside the original Macintosh, the …

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Plastic Nev replied November 21, 20159 yr

Even in an age when everyone has Caller ID on their cellphones and landlines, when more than 200 million numbers are listed on the national Do Not Call Registry, our phones are still inundated with unwanted auto-dialed and prerecorded calls. And though state and federal regulators regularly shut down illegal telemarketing operations, it can seem like a game of Whac-A-Mole, with new robocallers popping up to replace the old ones. There are a number of ways to use technology to reduce the number of annoying robocalls you receive, but U.S. phone companies have generally left it up to consumers to defend themselves against the telemarketing onslaught, rather than implement…

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Plastic Nev replied November 21, 20159 yr

Can someone recommend a sturdy keyboard with big, durable letters? I Google'd and Amazon'ed but am confused as ever. Current keyboard has a problem connecting from cable to keyboard. I don't know how longer my "fix" (shoving cord into keyboard) will prevail. Thanks!

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Plastic Nev replied November 17, 20159 yr

A severe security flaw in the Chrome browser allows attackers to hijack Android mobile devices on the latest operating system. A Chinese researcher has discovered an exploit which allows attackers to hijack Android mobile devices through the Chrome browser, placing millions at risk. Speaking at the PacSec conference held in Tokyo, Japan this month, Qihoo 360 researcher Guang Gong demonstrated how the zero-day flaw could be exploited to take over a fully updated Android device. As reported by Security Affairs, the Chinese security expert leveraged a JavaScript v8 flaw through the Chrome browser to hijack a Google Project Fi Nexus 6 device running the latest OS, An…

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allheart55 Cindy E replied November 16, 20159 yr

The Media Trust, an online security vendor, has detected a malvertising campaign that specifically targeted ads presented with online video as a channel of distribution. While malvertising campaigns using video ads have surfaced in the past, the recent attack detected by The Media Trust affected over 3,000 websites, many of which were part of Alexa's Top 100. Fortunately, the campaign only lasted for 12 hours, late on Thursday, October 29, and was thwarted by the company's quick response. The attack followed the regular infection pattern used by normal malvertising techniques, but with a few modifications to work with video delivery platforms. According to The …

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allheart55 Cindy E replied November 14, 20159 yr

T-Mobile CEO Tries To Explain $15/Month Price Hike For Unlimited Plan By Chris Morran November 12, 2015 http://consumerist.com/2015/11/12/t-...nlimited-plan/ While T-Mobile’s event-friendly news from Tuesday’s press conference was that the company was exempting a number of streaming video services from data caps, what wasn’t so loudly announced was T-Mo’s price hike for its unlimited data plan — from $80/month to $95/month for new customers. The price change won’t immediately effect current T-Mobile Simple Choice unlimited customers, whose rates are already locked in for two years. But starting on Sunday, Nov. 15, the new “Simple Choice Amped” unlimited plan wil…

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AWS replied November 13, 20159 yr

Verizon Adds Yet Another Activation Fee For New Wireless Customers Because They Can By Kate Cox November 12, 2015 http://consumerist.com/2015/11/12/ve...ause-they-can/ You know what the best thing is about mobile phones? Countless fees! Wait, no, that’s the worst thing, sorry. My mistake. But Verizon seems to have the same confusion, because the nation’s largest-by-far wireless provider is now adding even more fees onto their customers’ bills, because they can. It’s not the new $20 monthly bump in the cost of unlimited data, for those who have it. Nor is it the $20 monthly fee Verizon charges customers just for having a smartphone on any given line (on top of th…

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allheart55 Cindy E replied November 13, 20159 yr

Coding mistakes in a malicious program that encrypts data mean anyone hit by the Power Worm virus will not be able to recover files, say security experts. Usually viruses known as ransomware decrypt files when victims have paid a substantial fee. But one variant of Power Worm destroys keys that could help recover any data that it scrambled. The news comes as hackers produce ransomware that is aimed at websites and encrypts data sitting on servers. Cashing in Power Worm infects Microsoft Word and Excel files but the latest poorly written update of it goes after many more types of data files it finds on a victim's machine. Malware researcher Nathan Scott d…

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Plastic Nev replied November 12, 20159 yr

Firefox’s Private Browsing Mode Can Now Block Invasive Online Ads By Chris Morran November 3, 2015 http://consumerist.com/2015/11/03/firefoxs-private-browsing-mode-can-now-block-invasive-online-ads/#more-10222595 Excerpts: Any decent web browser has some sort of incognito browsing mode that adds at least the appearance of a more private user experience. Now the folks behind the Firefox browser say their latest update includes an enhanced Private Browsing mode that limits tracking to the point of actually blocking some ads. In a new blog post and the above video, Firefox VP Nick Nguyen explains the basics of the updated Private Browsing mode, which is available…

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AWS replied November 11, 20159 yr

Can someone please help me find the U.S. best buy for a Nod32 renewal? I Googled, and this site has my brain running around in circles: https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=Lowest+price+Nod32+renewal

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allheart55 Cindy E replied November 9, 20159 yr

Microsoft is planning to make sure PC makers only install Windows 10 on new machines next year. On October 31st 2016, OEMs like Dell, HP, and Lenovo will all have to stop shipping new PCs with Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 pre-installed. Instead, Microsoft wants all new machines to ship with Windows 10. ZDNet points out that this is a little sooner than usual, as Microsoft normally sets an end-of-sales date for older versions of Windows two years after the launch of a new version. Microsoft extended that policy during the Windows 8 era to allow PC makers to continue to pre-install Windows 7. HP used the extension as a marketing effort to bring Windows 7 PCs back "by popular…

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allheart55 Cindy E replied November 8, 20159 yr

Did you feel like paying more to Comcast next month to keep using the amount of data you’ve been using for years already? No? Well, if you’re in one of several markets in the southeast, tough cookies: Comcast’s data caps, and their fees, are coming to a cable modem near you this December. DSL Reports has noted that starting December 1, the list of Comcast cities subject to usage-based data pricing is going to get even longer. Several cities in Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Virginia are going to be added to the list, according to Comcast’s official FAQ. Markets newly added to the unfortunate shortlist will face the same base 300 GB per month cap as the othe…

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allheart55 Cindy E replied November 8, 20159 yr

Microsoft has released a fresh new build of Windows 10 to preview members today. That's a fairly regular occurrence, but today's release is the final version of a big new Windows 10 update that will arrive to everyone next week. The update includes a number of fixes and UI changes that were originally planned for the final version of Windows 10. One of the noticeable differences is a new colored title bars for desktop apps. All apps now feel a little more similar to the ones designed specifically for Windows 10, and Microsoft has also improved the context menus throughout the OS to make them a little more consistent. Another big change is the introduction of Skype inte…

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starbuck replied November 8, 20159 yr

My wife bought me a new Mac Pro. Xeon 3.7 16Gigs and such. It was delivered today. Once I post this I am going to take down my Windows box and put it in it's place. I will be running OSX exclusively from this day forward. I have been on OSX for a while with my Mac Mini and I've found myself booting Windows less and less. The only reason I haven't went OSX full time is a couple programs I run for work didn't have an OSX counter part. They just released a version for OSX so the last hurdle has been cleared. This will be my last post as a Windows user. I might fire up a VM from time to time when I get bored, but, for now it's so long Windows.

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AWS replied November 7, 20159 yr

When I was younger I hated going to weddings. It seemed that all of my aunts and the grandmotherly types used to come up to me, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me, 'You're next.' They stopped that crap after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.

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allheart55 Cindy E replied November 6, 20159 yr

More than 20,000 adware samples masqueraded as legitimate apps, like Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter. Researchers have found a new type of Android malware found in thousands of apps, posing as popular titles -- including Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, and more. Making matters worse, it's almost impossible to remove, forcing a user to replace their device entirely. Lookout Security, a mobile security firm, discovered the new so-called "trojanized adware," which puts a new twist on how cybercriminals are generating money. By taking legitimate apps from the Google Play store, malicious actors will repackage the app with baked-in adware, and serve it to a third-part…

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AWS replied November 5, 20159 yr

A new ransomware has started to become seen on various computer support forums that encrypts your data and then appends the helpmeATfreespeechmail.org string to the filename. We believe this infection is part of a ransomware engine that different affiliates utilize, but with their own payment email addresses. When a computer becomes infected by this family of malware, the victim will be assigned a unique ID. This ID and the associated ransom email address will then be appended to any files that are encrypted. For example, if an infected user received an ID of 4126721512 and a file called baseball.jpg is encrypted, the filename would become baseball.jpg.id-4126721512_he…

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allheart55 Cindy E replied November 4, 20159 yr

Microsoft is widely expected to release the first major update to Windows 10 dubbed Fall Update this month. And it could happen as soon as next week. According to a software engineer at Microsoft, the company plans to roll out the update on November 10. Commenting on a user’s query regarding Cortana’s release in India, Ashish Sondhi, the aforementioned engineer noted that the feature will arrive with the “November” update. It is not exactly clear whether he is talking about the monthly security update dubbed Patch Tuesday or the impending update, but considering the new update also brings in features, it is likely the latter. As for what to expect in the new update,…

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starbuck replied November 1, 20159 yr