I wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas. I hope you find some joy this season.
Christmas Eve Random Stuff…
FinalCrypt 6.3.1 Download | Changelog
Macrium Reflect 7.2.4601 Download | Release Notes
Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:
MUST READ – One Nation, Tracked An investigation into the smartphone tracking industry from Times Opinion (Links at bottom of article). Mentioned earlier. Series now complete.
Bypass Paywalls Firefox | Bypass Paywalls Chrome
Part 1 – Twelve Million Phones, One Dataset, Zero Privacy
Part 2 – Protect Yourself
Part 3 – National Security
Part 4 – How It Works
Part 5 – One Neighborhood
Part 6 – Protests
Part 7 – Solutions
*$#!^ New Yorkers react to being named ‘rudest city in America’
“Americans think New Yorkers are the biggest jerks in the country, according to a new survey — released just days before Christmas, no less.”
Many of us also think as a group you are self-important. Can’t put all the blame on you though. Every media outlet acts like life starts and stops there. The rest of us just roll our eyes at that notion. And yes, I’ve been to New York. It was summertime in the mid 80’s and the entire city smelled like urine.
Dan’s Disaster: How the Washington Redskins Plummeted to Rock Bottom
“The professional football team in the nation’s capital was the hottest ticket in town for decades. But under Dan Snyder’s ownership, the franchise has lost a lot of games and managed to alienate even some of its most dedicated fans. What made one of most unshakable fandoms in America give up on its team?”
Four of us used to go up there to one game a year and tailgate like it was our last party. That’s over now, we’ve all lost interest. I haven’t watched a full football game of any kind this year. I still root for Dallas to lose though.
Zac Brown Band – The Woods (Official Music Video)
Weekend Random Stuff…
Latest Downloads
AMD Radeon Adrenalin 2020 Edition 19.12.3 Optional Drivers Download | Release Notes
Intel Graphics – Windows 10 DCH Drivers 26.20.100.7584
Sysinternals Process Explorer v16.31
Sysinternals Process Monitor v3.53
Winaero Tweaker 0.16.1 Download | Info
Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
As usual we went to the first showing. I liked it. I don’t understand the negative reviews.
Twelve Million Phones, One Dataset, Zero Privacy
“After spending months sifting through the data, tracking the movements of people across the country and speaking with dozens of data companies, technologists, lawyers and academics who study this field, we feel the same sense of alarm. In the cities that the data file covers, it tracks people from nearly every neighborhood and block, whether they live in mobile homes in Alexandria, Va., or luxury towers in Manhattan.”
This is part one of a series of articles called One Nation, Tracked An investigation into the smartphone tracking industry from Times Opinion (Links at bottom of article).
Bypass Paywalls Firefox | Bypass Paywalls Chrome
Part 2 – Protect Yourself
Part 3 – National Security
Part 4 – How It Works
Part 5 – One Neighborhood
Coming Sunday Protests
Coming Sunday Solutions
Wawa announces data breach at ‘potentially all’ locations
“The malware accessed customers’ payment card information, including credit and debit card numbers, expiration dates and cardholder names at potentially inside the store and at the self-serve pumps”
Over 267 million Facebook users had their names, phone numbers, and profiles exposed thanks to a public database, researcher says
#DeleteFacebook
Alienated, Alone And Angry: What The Digital Revolution Really Did To Us
“Here is the most alienating fact about the Digital Nation we live in: It incentivizes forms of engagement that make Americans feel less empowered and more alone than ever, to the benefit of very few. It seizes some of the best, noblest human instincts — to share, to know, to connect, to belong — and harnesses them to a degrading system of profit. Anesthetization to these conditions is dangerous. Cynicism and powerlessness are the hallmarks of another form of digital life, an authoritarian one Americans should badly want to avoid.”
The Miseducation of the American Boy
“Why boys crack up at rape jokes, think having a girlfriend is “gay,” and still can’t cry—and why we need to give them new and better models of masculinity“
Linux Mint 19.3 Released
“Linux Mint 19.3 is a long term support release which will be supported until 2023. It comes with updated software and brings refinements and many new features to make your desktop even more comfortable to use.”
Download & Info:
Linux Mint 19.3 “Tricia” Cinnamon released!
Linux Mint 19.3 “Tricia” MATE released!
Linux Mint 19.3 “Tricia” Xfce released!
How to upgrade to Linux Mint 19.3
Wednesday Morning Random Stuff…
Google Chrome Updated
Version 79.0.3945.88 for Windows/Mac/Linux and 79.0.3945.93 for Android.
Download | Release Info
Android: Download | Release Info
Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:
The Most Popular Christmas Cookie in Every State
“While not unique to Christmastime, chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies with frosting are staples during the holiday season and favorites among Americans. By count of state, sugar cookies with frosting was overall the favorite Christmas cookie in the U.S. It won the most popular Christmas cookie in 21 of the 50 states.”
Everyone that didn’t pick gingerbread is wrong.
Top Gun: Maverick (2020) – New Trailer
Friday Random Stuff…
Thanks to readers Arthur and Allen for a few of these.
AMD Radeon Adrenalin 2020 Edition 19.12.2 Recommended WHQL Drivers
Support for RX 5500 XT, performance improvements, new Radeon Software, lots of other stuff. Be sure to see the release notes.
Download | Release Notes
Macrium Reflect 7.2.4557
A few small fixes
Download | Release Notes
FinalCrypt 6.1.1
Download | Changelog | Home Page
IrfanView 4.54
Download & Info | History of changes
Americans Ranked The 50 Greatest Christmas Movies Of All Time, And I Am Very Disappointed In Everyone
My Top Eleven
1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1967)
2. Scrooged (1988)
3. A Charlie Brown Christmas
4. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
5. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
6. A Christmas Carol / Scrooge (Almost any year)
7. The Santa Clause
8. Frosty the Snowman
9. Four Christmases
10. It’s a Wonderful Life
11. Bad Santa
What say you?
Thursday Morning Random Stuff…
Busy, Busy
Windows Updates
Windows 7, 8.1, and 10 all got security updates.
Windows 7 Update history
Windows 8.1 Update history
Windows 10 Update history
I’ve updated my article Remove And Block GWX In Windows 7 to stop the new Windows 7 EOS nagware BS.
Google Chrome 79
Improvements, fixes, 51 security fixes
Download
Download for Android
Adobe Reader Updated
Download | Security Bulletin
VirtualBox 6.1.0
“This is a major update.”
Download | Changelog
Nvidia Geforce Game Ready WHQL Driver 441.66
Download | Release Notes
Remove And Block GWX In Windows 7 UPDATED 2
All versions of Windows 7 now have a new EOS nagware update.
I have updated my Remove And Block GWX In Windows 7 article and batch file accordingly.
Monday Random Stuff…
Patch Tuesday is tomorrow so back it up or lock it out. I’ve got a busy day ahead tomorrow so I won’t be able to post at my usual Patch Tuesday time (just after 1300 hrs EST).
Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not (mostly off topic today).
Personal note – I got my tix for Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Joan Jett and the ♥’s!
A Charlie Brown Christmas first aired on this day in 1965.
see also: 14 Festive Facts About A Charlie Brown Christmas
AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black’ Certified 25 Times Platinum In U.S.
“On December 6, AC/DC’s 1980 breakthrough album “Back in Black” was certified by the Recording Industry Association Of America for U.S. shipments of 25 million copies.
“Back in Black” first went platinum in October 1980 and had previously been certified 22 times platinum in December 2007. The RIAA lists “Back In Black” as the fourth biggest-selling album of all time.”
and the bell rang 13 times…
Rumors are that they will tour next year. Some of those say Brian Johnson will be back out front.
related: Dee Snider: New AC/DC album will feature tracks recorded by Malcolm Young
NFL Network Reporter Jane Slater Reports How She Used Her Ex-Boyfriend’s Christmas Gift To Bag Him Cheating
“An Ex Boyfriend once got me a Fitbit for Christmas. I loved it. We synched up, motivated each other… didn’t hate it until he was unaccounted for at 4am and his physical activity levels were spiking on the app ? wish the story wasn’t real.”
Aw man, so much karma…
Confidential documents reveal U.S. officials failed to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan
“A confidential trove of government documents obtained by The Washington Post reveals that senior U.S. officials failed to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan throughout the 18-year campaign, making rosy pronouncements they knew to be false and hiding unmistakable evidence the war had become unwinnable.
The documents were generated by a federal project examining the root failures of the longest armed conflict in U.S. history. They include more than 2,000 pages of previously unpublished notes of interviews with people who played a direct role in the war, from generals and diplomats to aid workers and Afghan officials.”
Long read and worth every second.
The US, like China, has about one surveillance camera for every four people, says report
“One billion cameras will be installed globally by 2021…There is a difference in how the cameras are implemented, though. In China, most cameras are installed for the purposes of widespread video surveillance of cities, whereas cameras installed in the US are primarily for the purposes of retail and commercial usage.”
Well, I’ve got 12 at my house so…
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine actor René Auberjonois dies at 79
“Fellow actors George Takei, William Shatner and more pay tribute online to the actor who played Changeling Odo.”
Caroll Spinney, Who Played Big Bird And Oscar On ‘Sesame Street,’ Dies At 85
“The Sesame Workshop said Spinney had died at home in Connecticut, and that he had long lived with dystonia, a disorder that causes involuntary muscle contractions.“
Weekend Random Stuff…
O&O ShutUp10 Updated
1.7.1405 – released December 06, 2019
FIX: Application of predefined settings via menu were not saved
Download & Info
FinalCrypt 6
Improved User Interface with better overview
Improved file manager behavior & presentation
Improved UserGuidance, Display & Button Layout
Download | Changelog | Home Page
Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not
Supposed crack for Windows 7 Extended Updates that don’t exist.
The hack installs 4 .dll files. Cool trick but quite possibly a big security risk IMHO.
The PC was supposed to die a decade ago. Instead, this happened
“And so, here we are, a full decade after the PC’s untimely death, and the industry is still selling more than a quarter-billion-with-a-B personal computers every year. Which is pretty good for an industry that has been living on borrowed time for ten years.
Maybe the reason the PC industry hasn’t suffered a mass extinction event yet is because they adapted, and because those competing platforms weren’t able to take over every PC-centric task.”
FCC tries to bury finding that Verizon and T-Mobile exaggerated 4G coverage
“Verizon, T-Mobile, and US Cellular exaggerated their 4G coverage in official filings to the Federal Communications Commission, an FCC investigation found. But FCC officials confirmed that Chairman Ajit Pai does not plan to punish the three carriers in any way.”