Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Remove And Block GWX In Windows 7 UPDATED
A small fix.

AMD Radeon Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.10.2 Optional
Support For CoD: Modern Warfare, The Outer Worlds, Chernobylite and a few fixed issues.
Download | Release Notes

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

The FCC is using streaming services as an excuse to raise cable rates
“The rise of streaming services could give cable companies an excuse to raise rates under a Federal Communications Commission order handed down on October 25th. The order, which comes in response to a petition by Charter, finds that AT&T’s TV Now streaming service qualifies as reasonable competition for conventional cable, opening the door to a massive deregulation in monopoly cable markets.”

Comcast Is Lobbying Against Encryption That Could Prevent it From Learning Your Browsing History
“Internet giant Comcast is lobbying U.S. lawmakers against plans to encrypt web traffic that would make it harder for internet service providers (ISPs) to determine your browsing history, according to a lobbying presentation obtained by Motherboard.
The plan, which Google intends to implement soon, would enforce the encryption of DNS data made using Chrome, meaning the sites you visit. Privacy activists have praised Google’s move. But ISPs are pushing back as part of a wider lobbying effort against encrypted DNS, according to the presentation. Technologists and activists say this encryption would make it harder for ISPs to leverage data for things such as targeted advertising, as well as block some forms of censorship by authoritarian regimes.”

Speaking Truth to Power: Reflections on My Career at Microsoft
“The future trajectory of Microsoft depends in large part on Satya’s actual commitment to his publicly professed desire to create a more diverse and humble company. One can make a case, citing the examples above, that Microsoft is making progress. But my former female colleagues who reviewed this document in advance of its publication are unconvinced. ”
Some interesting insights but using the phrase “Speaking Truth to Power” in this manner is an insult to the people and movements who actually have.
“Speaking truth to power is a non-violent political tactic, employed by dissidents against the received wisdom or propaganda of governments they regard as oppressive, authoritarian or an ideocracy. The phrase originated with a Pendle Hill pamphlet Speak Truth to Power: a Quaker Search for an Alternative to Violence, published in 1955. Speak Truth To Power is also the title of a global Human Rights initiative under the auspices of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. Practitioners who have campaigned for a more just and truthful world have included Vaclav Havel, Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mahatma Gandhi, the Dalai Lama and Elie Wiesel”

Alzheimer’s drug that failed early tests now dubbed effective, heads to FDA
“Those who received higher doses of aducanumab “experienced significant benefits on measures of cognition and function such as memory, orientation, and language,” the company reported. Those patients also saw benefits in daily activities, such as while they were managing their personal finances, cleaning, doing laundry, shopping, and traveling outside their homes.“

Google Chrome 78
“Chrome 78.0.3904.70 contains a number of fixes and improvements…This update includes 37 security fixes.”
Download (64-bit en-US) | All Downloads | Release Info
Chrome for Android updated too:
“stability and performance improvements…Dark theme for Chrome menus, settings, and surfaces. Find it in Settings > Themes”

Firefox 70
See: Latest Firefox Brings Privacy Protections Front and Center Letting You Track the Trackers
Download (64-bit en-US) | All Downloads | Release Notes
Related Downloads: Tails 4.0 | Tor Browser 9.0

Nvidia Geforce Game Ready WHQL Driver 440.97
Provides increased performance and the optimal gaming experience for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and The Outer Worlds.
Adds support for windowed G-SYNC for OpenGL and Vulkan-based applications
Download | Release Notes

Latest Linux Releases
MX Linux 19
Ubuntu 19.10 | Kubuntu 19.10 | Ubuntu MATE 19.10 | Xubuntu 19.10 | Ubuntu Budgie 19.10 | Lubuntu 19.10

Latest Downloads
EMDB v3.50
Intel Windows 10 Graphics DHC Drivers 26.20.100.7323
Mp3tag v2.99a

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Google Maps Just Introduced a Controversial New Feature That Drivers Will Probably Love (but Police Will Utterly Hate)
“But Waze, which is actually owned by Google, has one feature I greatly appreciate: It lets other drivers warn of the locations of road hazards and police speed traps…This week, however, Google announced the next best thing: Starting immediately, drivers will be able to report hazards, slowdowns, and speed traps right on Google Maps.”
The reason I use Waze over Google is specifically because of the fact it does tell you about speed traps and such. I’m not a speed demon and I’m not doing 100 miles an hour dodging through traffic. Anyone have a family member that used to have a police scanner at home? My Grandpa used to have one in the kitchen. He would sit there at night listening to it and drinking a PBR. I’m really tired of the Po-Po whining about this stuff.

Paul Thurrott – Windows 10 Version 1909 Review
“From a review standpoint, there’s not much to say. You’ll notice very few changes when compared to the previous version of Windows 10.”
Like I said on the 15th, “There ain’t much there there.”

Friendly reminder: Biometrics are not the best way to secure your phone
“Samsung has spent millions on making its phones more secure, and on making sure customers know about it. You’d think all that money would be enough to fend off the threat of a $2 silicone case. Apparently not…The truth is, fingerprints and other biometric authentication methods are flawed. You shouldn’t rely on them if you actually care about mobile security. PINs and passwords are much more secure — if less convenient — methods of authentication.”

Why we should ban facial recognition technology everywhere
Article links to an article by two PhD’s: What Happens When Employers Can Read Your Facial Expressions?
“Facial recognition is truly a one-of-a-kind technology — and we should treat it as such. Our faces are central to our identities, online and off, and they are difficult to hide. People look to our faces for insight into our innermost feelings and dispositions. Our faces are also easier to capture than biometricsClose X like fingerprints and DNA, which require physical contact or samples. And facial recognition technology is easy to use and accessible, ready to plug into police body cameras and other systems.
We support a wide-ranging ban on this powerful technology. But even limited prohibitions on its use in police body cams, D.M.V. databases, public housing and schools would be an important start.”
I don’t disagree with the sentiment but that genie is out of the bottle. Too bad she doesn’t look like Barbara Eden.

Alexa and Google Home abused to eavesdrop and phish passwords
“By now, the privacy threats posed by Amazon Alexa and Google Home are common knowledge. Workers for both companies routinely listen to audio of users—recordings of which can be kept forever—and the sounds the devices capture can be used in criminal trials.
Now, there’s a new concern: malicious apps developed by third parties and hosted by Amazon or Google. The threat isn’t just theoretical.”
I don’t understand why folks are using these things?

Men Exercising Before Breakfast Burn Twice The Fat And Have ‘Profound Changes’ On Health Says Study
“New research finds that men who workout before breakfast burn twice as much fat as those who exercise after. Those who workout before breakfast also enjoyed “profound changes” on their health. However, the pre-breakfast exercise routine did not translate into more weight loss.”
Can I at least have my coffee first?

Anheuser-Busch InBev accuses rival of obtaining the secret recipe for Bud Light
“Anheuser-Busch InBev has accused rival brewer Miller Coors of obtaining the secret recipes for Bud Light and Michelob Ultra, the latest shot in a long running legal dispute.
The world’s largest brewer claimed Thursday in US court documents that Miller Coors, a subsidiary of Molson Coors, has obtained the “precise recipes” for some of its most popular beers, which it considers trade secrets.”
Why would you want the recipe for that horrible beer?

After Kaga, explorers zero in on second sunken Japanese carrier from Battle of Midway
“Deep-sea explorers scouring the world’s oceans for sunken World War II ships are focusing in on debris fields deep in the Pacific, in an area where one of the most decisive battles of the time took place.
Hundreds of miles off Midway Atoll, nearly halfway between the United States and Japan, a research vessel is launching underwater robots miles into the abyss to look for warships from the famed Battle of Midway.”

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Final Trailer
Bought my tickets yesterday!

CCleaner 5.63
“Users on versions v5.57 through to v5.62 have been automatically updated to the new version to take advantage of its enhanced security and improved performance. Users will not notice any change to any of their product settings and can continue to use it as normal. Minor UI changes and bug fixes”
Download (I use portable) | Release Announcement | Forum Announcement
See also: Blocking A Programs Internet Access Via The Windows Firewall

VirtualBox 6.0.14
“This is a maintenance release.”
Download | Changelog

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Humans will not ‘migrate’ to other planets, Nobel winner says
“Humans will never migrate to a planet outside of Earth’s solar system because it would take far too long to get there…”We are talking about hundreds of millions of days using the means we have available today. We must take care of our planet, it is very beautiful and still absolutely liveable.””
I feel like we already know that?

Taco Bell recalls 2.3 million pounds of seasoned beef from restaurants in 21 states
On Monday, the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced some of Taco Bell’s seasoned beef products sent to restaurants nationwide have been recalled because they “may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically metal shavings.”
Ha! For it to be a risk they would have to put beef in their food first. The Taco Bell’s around here barely put a trace amount in the tacos.

Win10 1809 And Under Updated
“This non-security update includes quality improvements. Key changes include:” a whole bunch of “Addresses an issue”

Win10 1909
Windows nerds parroted a guess that 1909 would be released this month. Nope, November. It’s is a boring update and I am 100% fine with that. There is a new feature that sounds interesting, “Favored CPU Core Optimization.”
I wouldn’t be in a hurry for this y’all. There ain’t much there there.
Microsoft: What’s new in Windows 10, version 1909

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC Updated
“Adobe has released security updates for Adobe Acrobat and Reader for Windows and macOS. These updates address critical and  important vulnerabilities.  Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user.”
Download (US) | All Downloads | Security Bulletin

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Internet Archive releases 2,500 MS-DOS games so you can relive the ’90s
“This will be our biggest update yet, ranging from tiny recent independent productions to long-forgotten big-name releases from decades ago,”
Have at it ya old Geeks!

Deepfake videos ‘will cause worldwide chaos and pull society apart’ expert warns
“Deepfake videos are becoming increasingly easy to make, and harder than ever to detect, experts warn.
As fake videos are used to spread misinformation quickly around the world, there are fears that more effort is going into developing deepfake-generating tools than into detection.”

Readers Beware: AI Has Learned to Create Fake News Stories
“What deepfakes did for video—producing clips of famous people appearing to say and do things they never said or did—these tools could do for news, tricking people into thinking the earth is flat, global warming is a hoax or a political candidate committed a crime when he or she didn’t. While false articles are nothing new, these AI tools allow them to be generated in seconds by computer.”

Jeff Bezos’s Master Plan
“What the Amazon founder and CEO wants for his empire and himself, and what that means for the rest of us.”
Long article that is worth the read. Why? Lot’s of reason but you can start with this:
Amazon – Our Positions

Chinese anger over Hong Kong ensnared 3 big US businesses this week — and critics say they bent to Beijing
China’s business bullying jumps to new heights over tweet by NBA Rockets GM
Opinion: LeBron James undermines values he’s espoused in most disgraceful moment of career

Alzheimer’s: Scientists find the cause of evening agitation
“A new study has uncovered a biological clock circuit that may explain why people with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia can become more agitated or aggressive in the early evening.
The researchers hope that their findings will lead to new treatments that help to calm the aggressiveness and agitation that individuals with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases commonly experience as part of a condition known as “sundowning.”
Too late to help my Dad. I hope they do find anything to actually help soon.

Former Apple employees are making a deadbolt that you unlock with your phone, and it’s backed by Walmart
Walmart. There’s a name that screams “quality”.

The Best and Worst Drivers By City
My area (Richmond) came in 10th worst. No argument there. But Detroit is the best? There is freaking no one there. In the several times I’ve been back recently the only place I see any traffic is on the highways (74/94/96) at what would be “rush hour” for them. It’s only light traffic for most of the Eastern / North Eastern seaboard.